


Locus Standi

by Written_in_Aqua



Category: Original Works
Genre: Dragons, F/F, I didn’t edit this at all, LGBT, More tags eventually, Original work - Freeform, This has plot, Will be gay at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-08
Updated: 2019-05-08
Packaged: 2019-10-24 12:46:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17704523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Written_in_Aqua/pseuds/Written_in_Aqua
Summary: Dragon Hatcher Charli West has everything she could ever want. A life of solitude raising and hatching dragons for the kingdom. But when the precious queen, Lucetta Noxx, goes missing, it’s up to Charli to find her and bring her home(I suck at summarizing, I promise this is good)





	1. Things are going great, what could possibly go wrong????

**Author's Note:**

> YOOOOO THIS WAS TOTALLY A SCHOOL PROJECT.
> 
>  
> 
> yeah
> 
>  
> 
> So
> 
>  
> 
> This is my big creative writing 30,000 word project that never got finished in class. So here you go! I just really want to finish it and so I’m posting it here.
> 
> I hope to god the italics work. I’ve been arguing with this damn website for 20 minutes now.
> 
> Edit: THE ITALICS WORK. the paragraph spaces are too big but eh. What can ya do?

_ The Hatcher’s Handbook, a guide to hatching dragons. _

_ Trying to hatch dragon eggs can be tricky, but do not worry, because it’s a simple process once you learn it. _

_ Step one: Obtain a dragon egg. _

 

“This year just hasn’t had good eggs.” I knelt before the queen, her steel gaze tracing my figure. “I’m asking you for permission to push back the hatch date a month or two.”

 

The queen rose, her iridescent dress rippling in the sunlight. Her grace was undefinable. She was pure beauty and power, a natural leader. Her impassive face stared down at me. “Charli,” she said. “I hired you because I believed you to be the best. Now you come to me with only news of your recent failures.”

 

“With all due respect, these eggs are somewhat difficult to hatch. I couldn’t set an exact hatch date because of the sheer length of the hatching conditions,” I explained. “One egg could be just fine with hatching on my farm, but another could require ocean waves, it’s simply a matter of experimenting with the conditions and waiting. Your Highness,” I added. I had thrown caution out the door when I had begun to speak, daring to question the great Queen of Otrela, Lucetta Noxx.

 

“That is enough out of you!” The queen’s advisor yelled, moving as if he were going to toss me out of the room.

 

“No no Tita, let the girl speak,” The queen stepped forward, stopping any movement the advisor had. She stood in front of me, her pitch-black eyes drilling holes in my face. “Are there any eggs ready to hatch at this moment.”

 

I bowed my head down, painfully aware of the mud on my boots. “Only common dragons that are of no use to the court.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

I lifted my head. “The only dragons I can hope to hatch within the next two weeks are the natural dragons. They’re strong, but small. I often send them out to the mining colonies or foresting areas. Hardy workers, but not court-worthy beasts.”

 

The queen nodded. “Understandable,” She walked back around to her throne and sat again. “You have been permitted two months of additional hatch time. After that, I expect to see you back here with news of hatchlings.”

 

The advisor handed me the official extension, detailing when a court member would be sent to check on the eggs. I thanked the queen and walked out, ready to fly home and work. The royal business was never my thing. Now, hatching and raising dragons was definitely my kind of work.

 

“Hey Astri!” I said, practically jogging into the open circle where I had tethered my dragon. Astriloquus was a cross-breed, one of the only undocumented crosses to ever live past infancy. She was bred illegally, a cross between an ancient galactic dragon and a nursing dragon. Her wings were too big, and her tail fins were too small, but she worked well with me.

 

Astri lifted her head, her silver eyes narrowing as she saw me.  _ “How nice of you to return,” _ She grumbled.  _ “I don’t suppose you made any progress with the queen?” _

 

I rolled my eyes. No one could really understand her, so she took that as an invitation to say whatever she wanted. Most dragons spoke in simple sentences, having never learned anything else. Astri was an exception. She spoke as if she were royalty. I had been born a dragon-speaker, someone who could understand dragons. Astri used this skill to complain about food, flight, people, and many other things I usually didn’t have time for.

 

“Yes Astri, I did actually convince the queen to extend our deadline. We have two more months.” I opened Astri’s saddle bag and put the official extension in there. “She said that she’d send someone along soon to check on our progress.”

 

Astri shook her head, the sturdy leather and metal of her riding harness flashing in the sunlight.  _ “Well that’s a shock,”  _ she said, turning her head to look me in the eyes.  _ “I don’t suppose you spoke to her about the flooding issue.” _

 

“How many times have I told you,” I stuck my foot in the stirrup and hoisted myself up onto Astri’s back. “The flooding happens every year, and every year it falls back. Nothing to worry about.”

 

_ “Fine.” _ Astri huffed.  _ “But don’t come crying to me when the eggs are underwater.” _

 

I nudged Astri’s side with my heel, pulling my legs tighter into her ribs as she stood, shaking out her legs and almost cautiously opening her wings. No matter how many times we took off together, I would never stop being amazed by Astri’s wings. Solid black leathery skin pulled over muscle. White wing tips faded into blue, purple, and green swirls that broke off to black. Stars dotted her skin, tracing glittering constellations.

 

Astri pushed up, taking off. She was steady, wings beating evenly to keep us above the ground. I, however, was less fortunate. Pressing my torso into Astri’s back, I tensed my legs, trying my hardest to stay on the back of my mighty beast. Once we were stable in the air, I peeled my chest off of Astri and pulled my goggles down over my eyes. My flight harness was clipped down properly, keeping my body attached to my dragon’s.

 

_ “Are you ok yet?”  _ Astri asked, voice pulling against the roar of the wind.

 

“Oh yeah, absolutely,” I called, grabbing Astri’s reins and grinning. “Let’s go home.”

 

Astri snorted, her wings extending out and catching the sun. We flew through one of the designated flight zones for a while, cruising alongside a gemstone dragon and dark-skinned worker. The gear on the dragon was sturdy, leather bags and a reinforced saddle. Definitely one of the dragons that worked down at the mining colonies.

 

Eventually, I tugged Astri off the flight zone, leading her towards our island home. From the air and the nearby shore, it just looked like a regular farm. Six pastures, three faded red farmhouses, two dragon perches, and one white and blue house. However, as Astri and I got closer, I could make out certain details. The flight dock with a net dangling below it, caves dug into the rocky island walls, the general lack of grass in two of the pastures, and the curving dragon stable that was home to all the young dragons on the island.

 

Astri landed gracefully on the flight dock, her heavily padded feet making almost no noise as she shook her wings out and folded them gracefully into her sides. I undid my flight harness and put the cords and respective clasps back in their proper place. My goggles were pushed up off my eyes, shoving my loose brown hair out of my face.

 

_ “You look tired,” _ Astri noticed, watching as I slid off her back and began to undo my harness.  _ “You have been sleeping at night, right?” _

 

“Of course.” I hung the harness up in the dock’s storage shed. “I mean, I stay up here and there to help the hatchlings, but I’m sleeping.” I took my riding gloves off and put them on a shelf, replacing the heavy leather cuffs with their thinner counterparts, shedding my jacket to do so. “Why do you care?” I turned, facing my dragon.

 

_ “I don’t.” _

 

“Then why did you ask?” I said, walking to Astri and beginning to take off her saddle.

 

Astri watched me, her pupils thinning.  _ “I may not care for your human problems, but I care for you.”  _ She uncurled her wing so I could reach her saddle buckles.  _ “And when your light is on once the stars are out, I worry.” _

 

I carted the saddle back to its perch in the shed, not saying anything. Astri followed, her nose pushing into the doorway. I silently undid her reins and harness, hanging them beside her saddle. She was uncharacteristically obedient as I put her halter on, clipping a rope underneath her chin.

 

_ “Child.”  _ Astri began.

 

“I don’t want to hear it.” I retaliated. Before Astri could say anything else, I walked off. She followed, remaining quiet as I pushed the stable door open, letting the smell of sunlight and hay wash over me.

 

As I walked down the hall, hatchlings and younglings pushed against the stall doors, trying to greet me. Astri grumbled at them, reminding the older ones to have some sense of maturity. When I reached the end of the row, I grabbed a lead line and opened the stall door.

 

_ “Charli?”  _ The ash dragon stared up at me. His eyes glowed solid red, melting and shifting like lava. As he brushed against me, his rocky solid skin left dust on my pants.

 

“Hey Theo.” I greeted, attaching the lead to Theo’s harness. “How’re you doing?”

 

Theo followed as I walked him out of his stall.  _ “Cramped,”  _ he said.  _ “That room is getting smaller.” _

 

I laughed. “No Theo, you’re just getting bigger.”

 

_ “Oh.” _

 

“Yeah. Oh,” I said. Theo walked with me and Astri all the way down the hall, looking up at the dirty glass panes above our heads. As we left the stables, I shut the old doors behind me.

 

Theo cocked his head.  _ “Why’d you do that?” _ he asked.

 

Astri gave Theo a nudge.  _ “You’re being moved to the caves,”  _ she said, her pupils widening. She had an affinity for younglings. Something about being a nursing dragon helped tremendously, both her and me. I got help with the hatchings, and she got to use her natural talents. It was a win-win.

 

“Yeah. I figured it was time for you to get moved,” I opened the gate that separated the caves from the rest of the farm. “The other ash dragons have been waiting for you, but your egg hatched late and you weren’t growing, so I couldn’t move you.”

 

Theo nudged my leg as we walked.  _ “I remember. You were always concerned for me.” _

 

Astri rolled her eyes.  _ “We’re here,” _ she grumbled.

 

The two other ash dragons pushed forward as I opened the door. Eindo grinned at me, her solid magma eyes wide and happy. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth as she butted her head into my thigh. Onno tried to push into my arms, his heavy head resting on my shoulder.

 

“Hi guys!” I said, bending down the give the lonely dragons some attention.  “How are you?”

 

_ “Cold!” _

 

“Onno, you are an ash dragon. You can’t get cold.”

 

_ “Theo!” _

 

Eindo circled Theo, her eyes narrowing and widening. Theo circled back, making room for Onno. The trio sniffed each other out, happy to be reunited. I stepped back, pulling a board and paper off the wall. I made notes on the development of the three dragons. Onno was starting to outgrow Eindo, and the heavy horns on his crown were finally coming in. Eindo was definitely behind. In fact, her teeth weren’t in at all. Her wings were bigger than Onno’s though, the wing-tips already had the tell-tale red that signaled she was ready for work.

 

“Hey Eindo, come here,” I said, putting the board back on the wall. Eindo gave Theo one last happy nudge before coming over to sit at my legs.

 

Astri peered at Eindo.  _ “Her teeth,”  _ she whispered to me.  _ “You don’t think?” _

 

“I do,” I replied. “But I can’t be sure.”

 

I put Eindo on a lead line and brought her out of the cave. I had to reassure her four times that she’d be back by the time the sun went down. Finally, we reached the medical barn.

 

Eindo looked around.  _ “Why are we here?”  _ she asked.  _ “I wanna be back with Theo and Onno.” _

 

I coaxed the ash dragon up onto a table. It wasn’t anything fancy, like the tables at real medical bays. Mine was just an old wooden desk that I had found in the attic. As Eindo settled, I grabbed an old leather apron and pulled it over my head. “Because,” I started, reaching around my back and tying the apron at my waist. “Your teeth should be in, and they aren’t.”

 

Eindo squirmed, watching Astri climb into the barns’ rafters.  _ “Can’t we do this back at the cave?”  _ she whined, turning her head to me.

 

“Eindo, stop arguing,” I said, putting conviction in my tone. Eindo wasn’t too pleased, but she stopped talking back.

 

I sighed. “Sorry Eindo. I can’t do this at the cave because I need the light and tools up here.”

 

Astri huffed above us.  _ “Get on with it,”  _ She fussed.

 

“I’m going, I’m going,” I replied, glaring at Astri.

 

Once I had my gloves on, I gently pulled Eindo’s mouth open. Sure enough, her teeth still hadn’t come in. I pulled a light closer. All of Eindo’s baby teeth were gone, but her adult teeth had refused to grow. I sighed. “Eindo, you might have to stay here with me,” I said. “I had been planning to send you, Theo, and Onno off to the Firefront, but your teeth just don’t exist. I would put in a false tooth if it was just one, but you’re missing all of them.”

 

Eindo stared, sadness burning in her gaze.  _ “I can’t work?” _ she asked.

 

Astri came down from the ceiling, laying her wing on top of Eindo.  _ “Child,”  _ she comforted.  _ “you are not useless. In fact, it’s dragons like us that help run this farm.” _

 

“Of course Eindo,” I pulled my gloves off and stroked Eindo’s snout. “You were always a great flyer. I could use your help to teach the hatchlings to fly.”

 

_ “I’m not sure.” _

 

“How about this.” I said. “I will try my hardest to come up with a solution. I want you to work. I want you to live a long, happy, life with your hatchmates. But that might not be possible.”

 

Eindo let me walk her back to her cave, where she broke the news to everyone. I let them curl up together as I walked out, wiping my hands on my apron.

 

_ “That was really kind.” _ Astri said, bending her snout down to my level.

 

I groaned, throwing my head back and staring at the sky. “What am I gonna do Astri?”

 

_ “How should I know?” _

 

“Oh shut it you.”

 

“Charli West!” The shout startled me, causing me to jump, turning fast and getting ready to fight. Instead of a threat, I saw something worse. A royal advisor walking across the lawn. His rainbow dragon was tethered at the docks, her slim body shimmering in the sun. The advisor reached me, his clean uniform already collecting dust.

 

“Yes?” I said, raising an eyebrow and putting my hands on my hips.

 

The advisor stood tall, his eyes meeting mine. “You are required.”

 

I shrugged. “No can do,” I turned, ready to walk off. “I’m on a schedule.”

 

“Miss. West I must insist!” The advisor followed me.

 

“Unless the queen wants to talk to me again, I’m not going anywhere,” I wheeled around, facing the advisor. “And don’t call me Miss. West.”

 

“The queen has been kidnapped, and she wrote that if there was ever an emergency, you were to be the only one contacted about it.”


	2. Shit son, that can’t be good.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After all the stuff that went down in chapter one, now Charli has to deal with the court system! Hurray!!!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well shit
> 
> I’m hella sick and completely forgot to post this. 
> 
> So here it is now
> 
>  
> 
> (Btw, might make a new story, fanfic this time. Because God knows I like to suffer)

_ Step two: Make a nest. _

_ Once you have an egg in your possession, you must make a nest for your egg. Depending on the type of dragon you are hatching, making a nest can get difficult. Your egg might only hatch in a nest of rocks, or a nest of feathers. Be careful when making a nest, as eggs do grow. _

 

I took the advisor into the house, telling Astri to watch over the eggs. She perched on the hatching barn, a familiar silhouette as I made tea for the distraught man now sitting at my dinner table.

 

“So tell me again,” I said, setting down a slightly chipped mug for the advisor. “What this letter from the queen said?”

 

“That’s what you want to know?!” The man yelled. “Not how the queen was kidnapped in the first place?”

 

I sat, sliding my hands around my own mug. “Well obviously.” I rolled my eyes. “Start from the whole beginning.”

 

The advisor trembled as he took a sip of tea. “Well. We all woke up this morning to nothing unusual. You came in and had your council with the queen and left. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary until the queen claimed a headache and went up to her room to rest. When she didn’t come back down, a guard went to get her. He found the queen’s quarters empty and ransacked, a single piece of paper on the bed.” He slumped, loosening into his chair. “We picked the paper up, but it said that, under no circumstances, is anyone to read the official emergency statement but you.”

 

I sat back, kicking my feet up and tipping the chair back. “So, official statement. Where is it?”

 

The advisor shook his head. “I was instructed to collect you and bring you back to the castle. The statement isn’t allowed out of the vault.”

 

“Greeeaaaat.” I sighed, letting my chair fall to all fours. “I’ll ask Ikair if he’ll watch the farm for a while.”

 

Just like that, I was preparing to leave the farm for a few hours. Ikair, an old cloud dragon, agreed to take Astri’s place in looking after the little ones. Eindo was recruited to help him, under the orders that if anything began to hatch, she come find me immediately.  I packed clothes and food into Astri’s saddlebags, hoping I wouldn’t need them, before we took off, following the advisor.

 

_ “We’ll be back, don’t you worry,”  _ Astri reassured. She must have noticed how many times I looked back, regret burning in my eyes.

 

The flight paths were empty as we got closer to the castle. All dragons had been grounded by order of the court. I could see search dragons and tracking dragons paving a path through the village. Before I could question it, we were landing, and I was directed into a courtroom.

 

“Charli West.”

 

I stared upwards, surprised to see a full court. Usually, when a court matter was called, a partial court showed up, a half or a third of the 150 officials. Now, the circular room had no empty seats, a half-circle of faces staring down at me.

 

“You are Charli Mayburr West, are you not?” The judge said, filing through a stack of papers.

 

I winced at my full name. “Yes,” I shuffled my feet. “That’s me.”

 

The judge looked oddly bored, as if this wasn’t a matter of life and death. “And you admit to being the last member outside the court to have seen Queen Lucetta?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wonderful,” The judge shuffled more papers. “Your assistance in this case will not be overlooked Miss. West.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“However, we cannot allow you to access the emergency protocol.”

 

“What!” I exploded. “I thought the queen said I was the only one who could read it!”

 

The judge raised an eyebrow. “Yes that was the case,” he said. “Until the court voted against that action.”

 

“The court doesn’t have that power.”

 

“Miss. West, it was a unanimous decision.”

 

“And this is a time of war!” I retaliated. “If I am correct, and I’m certain that I am, when a time of war can be declared, any and every order must be approved by the queen. In the absence of the queen, the court can issue orders. But,” I began to pace, recalling the court books I had read years ago. “The queen has made it clear that her final order was for me to read that protocol. The court cannot overrule final orders.”

 

I was met with pure, unbroken silence. The noblemen and leaders of the court stared down at me, taken aback that I dared speak out against them. Furthermore, every word I had spoken came from the law books, and was therefore true.  

 

“Miss. West,” the judge began, adjusting his glasses. “The court has-”

 

“Voted unanimously, I know!” I glared up into the rows of chairs. “But your queen is missing, and I am the only one the queen trusts with her rescue.”

 

The judge sighed and called a break, letting the jury members talk amongst themselves while I stepped out, flanked by two guards. I settled outside, stroking Astri’s snout slowly. She didn’t try to talk to me, she just let me find comfort in being with her. When the court was called back into session, she whined as I left, trying to follow me.

 

“I’ll be back,” I promised.

 

Astri didn’t seem content with that answer, but she set her head on the bench I had been sitting on and waited.

 

Once the court doors were shut, I tensed my shoulders and got ready for a conflict. Instead, the judge looked around at his peers.

 

“We are ready to vote.” He announced finally, once he had glanced around a few times.

 

“All in favor of Charli West accessing the official emergency statement.”

 

About half of the hands went up.

 

“In favor of the court receiving the statement.”

 

About twenty five people raised their hands.

 

“All those who abstain.”

 

A third of the people raised their hands.

 

The judge nodded. “Miss. Charli West, you are to be granted full access to the emergency documents.”

 

I bowed my head. “Thank you,” I murmured, a fire lighting in my chest. “I will not disappoint.”

 

The judge dismissed the court, instructing me to follow two guards who would lead me to the vault. I followed, stopping by Astri to reassure her that I’d be back as soon as possible. She sighed and whined that I was taking too long, but she sat in complete obedience as I left. I followed the guards down a convoluted series of halls and doors, giving up on memorizing where I was going after the second time we turned left.

 

After a good fifteen minutes of walking, we reached the vault. The guards opened the heavy metal doors and gestured me inside. I memorized the layout, peering down hallways and into cubbies holding papers and other valuables. I found the emergency protocols box and pulled out the scroll labeled ‘royal kidnapping’ in fancy, looping script. I put the scroll carefully into a plastic tube, twisting the cap on and tucking the tube into my inner jacket pocket.

 

“I can take this home, right?” I asked the guard, who nodded.

 

The stoick pair walked me back to Astri, who pressed her nose into my chest. We took off, watched by the two guards and an advisor who had come out. By the time Astri was in a flight zone, I was completely out of it, my head spinning and my hands shaking.

 

Astri touched down at the farm and nudged me into the house.  _ “I can manage in my saddle for a while. You need sleep.” _ she insisted. I listened wordlessly, staggering up to my room and barely managing to get out of my flight gear and boots before passing out on my bed.

 

\-------------------------------

 

I woke up as the sun was setting, panic rising in my chest until I heard Astri outside, corralling the younglings back into their pens with the promise of food. I settled back into my mattress, content to lay here until the end of time, watching dust swirl around my room. At least, that’s what I wanted to do for all of one minute. My stomach protested, sending pangs of hunger through my body.

 

I shuffled my way out of bed and into the kitchen, putting a can of soup in a pot and warming it on the stove. When it was done, I took a bowl of soup outside and sat on a porch swing, rocking lazily back and forth as I ate. Astri noticed me on the porch and chirped happily. Sometimes, I forgot how dragon-like she could be. Her draconic roots were undeniable as she bounded across the lawn and looked happily down at me.

 

_ “I was so scared!”  _ she purred, circling around the porch.  _ “You were asleep for a while.” _

 

“Sorry,” I said, reaching out to pet Astri’s snout. “I just felt woozy as we flew home, so I napped a bit.”

 

Astri kept me company as I finished my meal, detailing how she had fed the younglings and hatchlings, helped bed them down, and had Eindo and Ikair check on the older younglings and young adults, making sure they were all ready for bed.

 

“Thank you Astri,” I put my bowl aside, ready to get up and get ready for bed for real. Astri stretched her wings out, and the flashing buckles on her saddle reminded me of the job I had neglected earlier.

 

“C’mere.” I gestured my dragon closer, standing up and walking over to her. My bare feet stung as they met cold grass, but I pushed through so I could un-saddle Astri. She was still and careful, lifting her wings and legs to help me reach the harder clasps.  Once I had hung the saddle on the porch rail, Astri nudged me up the stairs. I watched from my dragon fly off to her perch from the hall window. I sighed, turning away from the glass and heading up to my room.

 

The scroll I had taken sat on my desk, a quiet reminder of the job I had to do. Instead of respecting Astri’s wishes, I changed into my pyjamas and sat down at my desk. The red wax seal was unbroken. The scroll had never been opened. I pulled a leather-bound book down off a shelf and opened it to a new page. With a charcoal pencil, I labeled the new page “Kidnapping Details”

 

Just like that, I dedicated myself to the case. There was no choice now, I had to see this through. Carefully, I ran my thumb nail under the seal on the scroll. The wax popped off the parchment with ease, the scroll unfurling a small bit. I tucked the top end under a candle, and slowly unwound the paper. The bottom end was pushed under my notebook, keeping the protocol completely unwound on my desk. The writing was fancy. Written with quill and ink, perfect cursive letters in the queen’s script.

 

I took note of the important points in the letter. The queen had written as if she were already kidnapped, the note detailing what groups were the most likely to take her, what locations she was likely in, and what the group that had taken her was likely to ask for. I listed all of these in my notebook, careful with how I recorded the queen’s words.

 

Four hours of research and reading later, I was starting to get somewhere. Maps were scattered around my floor, a big one pinned to the wall. I pushed various sewing needles and pins into the map, sectioning off all the areas I knew were dragon safety zones, desolate zones, or possible places the queen could be. Each section had papers and detailed area maps stuck into the wall around them. I traced the official flight zones with red paint, the queen’s guard-houses with green pins, and the countries capital towns with black pins.

 

I finally settled into my bed early in the morning, after I had gotten tired of looking at words. I fell asleep within five minutes of closing my eyes, the soft glow of my candle burning behind my eyes, even after I had blown it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if any of this is colored text. Like I said, this was written for school, and the colored text is where I started and stopped.


	3. In which the protagonist thinks this is gonna be easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli leaves home and actually does shit outside, and ends up realizing she may be a bit in over her head

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BOY HOWDY THIS PROBABLY SUCKS. 
> 
> so yeah, I’m sleep deprived. Thanks concert that lasted until 11! 
> 
>  
> 
> I had fun though. 
> 
> It’s snowing here (thank god) and hell Yeah school was canceled 
> 
> Enjoy. 
> 
>  
> 
> By the way, that whole “I’m gonna write fanfiction” thing? Totally happening.

_ Step 3: Keep your egg covered. _

_ Every egg must be covered until it hatches, no matter the type of egg. If there is no mother dragon around, cover your egg with heated blankets. This heat and weight simulates the warmth and cover of a mother dragon comforting her egg. _

 

_ “Child!” _

 

I sat straight up, eyes wide. Astri’s yell echoed in my head as I stood and dressed quickly. My boots were tight and my harness was too loose, but I raced outside to see Astri standing before three official-looking men. The men all turned to see me walking across the lawn, trying my best to look in control.

 

“Charli West?” The middle man said, stepping forward.

 

“That’s me.”

 

The man held out a paper. “This was sent for you from the castle.”

 

I took the paper. A waxy envelope, sealed with an unmarked blob of pitch black wax. I pulled the envelope open, not bothering to wait. The letter was written in red ink, the parchment burned slightly around the edges.

 

“Dear court members of the kingdom,” I read aloud. “This is the Dragon Freedom Society. We have kidnapped your queen and we will hold her hostage until you meet our demands.”

 

_ “Really?”  _ Astri shoved her nose closer to the letter.  _ “The freedom society?” _

 

I rolled my eyes. “You have no idea how much hate mail I get from them.”

 

“Our demands are as follows,” I continued reading from the document. “We wish for every dragon to live in the wild, protected and free. No dragon shall work for any human. It shall be made illegal for anyone to own a dragon, use a dragon for profit, and/or disturb the hatch cycle of dragons. Our second demand is that half of the court be made up of members of our society. Lastly, we demand that every dragon farm be shut down and made illegal.”

 

Astri pulled away.  _ “They’re just targeting you now!”  _ she yelled.  _ “You’re the only dragon farm in the country!” _

 

“Yeah,” I said quietly, rolling the letter back up and tucking it into my jacket. The three men stared, obviously waiting for me to respond. When I didn’t, the one on the right initiated a conversation.

 

“Miss. West, the court has demanded that you jump into work immediately. The queen is a national treasure, and there’s no current heir. We need our leader back.”

 

“Yeah, no kidding,” I grumbled. “Give me twenty four hours, I’ll be airborne and on the search.”

 

The men left, saddling up on three identical blood dragons. The dragons snapped at Astri, bloody saliva dripping down their mouths.

 

_ “Honestly, how uncivilized!”  _ Astri swung her head around.  _ “The least they could do is show some respect to their hosts.” _

 

I ignored Astri and walked back towards the medical barn. With a huff, Astri took flight and circled the island, her shadow occasionally rippling across the barn skylights. I began packing a medical bag, full of various medicines, tools, cloths, bandages, and a few weird items I didn’t even know if I’d need. But it was better to be over-prepared.

 

By the time I got all the medical stuff, riding stuff, food stuff, and miscellaneous stuff I would need throughout my rescue mission,  the sun had set on the horizon, and I was ready to leave.  Astri took care of the barn, showing Eindo how to tell if an egg was hatching. Ikair was nosing around the stables, tugging the doors shut and taking off to bed down for the evening. I, however, was just getting started. Astri was saddled up, a few protests about night flying passing through the thick silence between us. I simply buckled another saddle bag to her saddle and explained that we needed to be up in the air as soon as possible.

 

I shoved my foot into the stirrup and swung my legs over Astri’s back. She waited as I clasped my fur-lined coat, pulled my goggles down over my eyes, and tugged my flight gloves on. Once I had a steady hold of the reins, I leaned my chest down over Astri’s back and gave her a nudge with my heel.

 

Just like that, we were in the air. Astri took off, pushing her wings heavily up and down until we were steady. We soon evened out, Astri’s wings spread wide.

 

“Take the flight zone until we hit Torrine,” I told Astri. Torrine was a small farming town built over top an ancient royalty dragon nest. The town supplied me with eggs, and the rest of the Otrela with vegetables and grains. It was the town that sat in the shadow of the castle, the guards often using the numerous inns to rest as they collected eggs for the court to send my way.

 

Astri angled her wings, turning us a bit to the left. Torrine was a two hour flight, and that was with the flight zones. I pressed myself a bit harder into Astri’s spine, my forehead meeting her dark scales.  Astri was warm, her heat radiating through my gloves and keeping my fingertips from freezing.

 

We passed the two hours in silence, no one disturbing us in the empty night sky. With the addition of the abandoned flight zone, Astri angled down for a landing after only an hour and a half. She set her feet on the landing dock, looking around and snorting as the warm Torrine air overtook us both. The entire town smelled heavily of wood and fog, a testament to the weather and surrounding forest.

 

I dismounted, pulling Astri’s reins over her head and holding them, walking her through the town. We saw no one. Hell, there weren’t even animals around. Not a single bird, mouse, or cat came out of the shadows to greet us. I found what I was looking for easily, having been to Torrine more times that I could count. I tethered Astri up outside the general store and gave her nose a resounding pat before I walked into the shop.

 

The store was just as barren as the outside street. Only one man was there, and he was behind the counter. Once he saw me, his eyes went wide.

 

“Evening,” I greeted, walking up to the man.

 

“You’re a brave one,” He responded, not meeting my eyes.

 

I leaned my elbows on the wooden counter surface. “And why’s that?”

 

“The queen’s men be searching anyone they see out at night.”

 

“Ah,” I shrugged. “I’m not worried.”

 

The man finally looked me in the eyes, fear burning in his features. “They took away my granddaughter because she was acting suspicious. Dragged her right out the house, kicking and screaming,” he wiped his eyes. “She’s only twelve.”

 

I nodded. “Don’t you worry,” I said. “Your granddaughter will be back here very very soon.”

 

The man sighed and I realized he was a lost cause. So I did my shopping instead. Non-perishable food, furs, new boot covers, and a few coils of rope were put in a bag and taken out of the store with me.

 

Astri noticed my purchases.  _ “Well it looks like you had fun.” _ She said, craning her neck to watch me put the food in a saddle bag.

 

“Mhm.”

 

_ “Ok, what’s wrong.” _

 

“Nothing,” I lied. “Just wondering why it’s so empty around here.”

 

Astri huffed, but didn’t call me out on my lies. We walked a bit more, Astri occasionally peering up at the sky and humming. Dragons flew above us. Wild beasts that were drawn to the mother nest underneath Torrine. They were mostly hemlock dragons, with long necks and branches from their namesake tree growing around their ears like a crown.

 

I steered Astri towards the south gates, out into the woods. We passed the old wooden archway without conflict, despite seeing a few guards. Once my feet hit soil, I mounted Astri. She walked through the shadow-stained forest, feet making no sound against the ground.

_ “Exactly what are we doing here?” _ Astri asked, keeping her voice low.

 

“Looking for them.”

 

I pointed just ahead, where a clearing full of various forest dragons had made a nest. I could see a few pairs of hemlock dragons, two pine dragons, and even one redwood dragon. I dismounted, walking forward and holding my hands out as the dragons all turned to look at me.

 

“We’re friends,” I said. “I’m just looking for a safe place to sleep.”

 

The redwood dragon lifted its great head.  _ “What is your name child?”  _ it asked.

 

“Charli.”

 

_ “Charli,”  _ the redwood dragon repeated.  _ “Why are you not seeking shelter with your kind?” _

 

I took another step forward. “They will not let me.”

 

The other dragons began to hiss, suspecting me of lying and wanting to take the hatchlings. The redwood silenced them all with a roar.

 

The dragon turned its green eyes to me.  _ “I am Komorebi. You have my blessing to remain here for the night.” _

 

I bowed. “Thank you Komorebi.”

 

The dragons all settled down, a few hatchlings peering at me from under their parent’s wings. I chose a spot near Komorebi, allowing the redwood dragon to cover me and Astri with his wing. One of the hemlock hatchlings waddled over, nosing his way under my arm and into my lap. I scratched behind his ears, lulling both him and me into a quiet sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s it. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> This is the end of chapter 3


	4. I used to love the mountains. Now they suck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another epic chapter in Charli’s story! Now, we get to the fun shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo sorry this is late. I thought today was Wednesday for like, an hour. BUT ANYWAY. im all tangled up in schoolwork and my BNHA fanfic ‘Beneath these Fireworks’ so it’s a miracle this is here

_ Step 4: Keep your egg safe. _

_ Many predators will try and take your egg and use it as a meal. It is important to watch over your egg the same way a mother dragon would, lest your undeveloped hatchling become a meal for a hungry Elodine Fox. _

 

I woke up very confused, warm, and sore. Astri was still sleeping, her chest falling and rising with steady rhythm. The hemlock hatchling that had slept in my lap was still splayed out across my legs, his belly in the air. I stared up at the sky, watching the rising sun stain the sky orange and pink. I had slept maybe five hours, tucked under the safety of Komorebi’s wing.

 

One of the hemlock dragons was already awake, watching as various morning dragons raced across the sky, chasing the nighttime dragons away. A nightfall dragon nested in the trees above the herd, its solid black eyes staring down at the group of forest dragons. I stared back, my brown eyes against its black ones. Eventually, the dragon snorted and tucked its wings in, balling up for sleep.

 

I waited, not wanting to wake the others. They all woke up soon after the sun rose, including Astri, who woke up and immediately pressed her nose into my chest.

 

“I’m safe,” I promised, stroking Astri’s snout. “Don’t worry.”

 

_ “I never worry.” _

 

“Lies.”

 

Komorebi stood, his full height displayed. He must have been easily twenty or thirty feet, ground to horns. He let his head fall back to my level, his pupils wide with sleep.

 

_ “Child. Do you need safe passage?”  _ he asked, his snout pressing into my entire body.

 

I glanced back at Astri. Despite her head being a good seven and a half feet off the ground, she looked miniscule next to the great redwood. I noted that her bridle and saddle were beginning to dig into her body, the metal buckles rubbing her scales loose.

 

“Actually,” I turned back to Komorebi. “Do you think you could give us a ride to the edge of the Antipar woods?”

 

_ “Antipar?”  _ the redwood looked out across the trees.  _ “Yes, Antipar is doable,”  _ He looked back down at me.

 

Astri and I climbed on top of Komorebi’s back, me settling in between his shoulder blades, and Astri behind me, her legs curled neatly beneath her. I took off her saddle and bridle and laid them out to soak in the sun next to my abandoned riding gear.

 

We rode with the pride for a while, trees brushing Komorebi’s sides, but never higher. As we rode, I told Astri my plans. How to find the queen and get her back. She vetoed pretty much every strategy I had, her head sinking lower onto her front legs. I crawled forward, careful not to lose my balance, and began to scratch circles into Astri’s head, where I knew her bridle rubbed her scales the most.

 

By the time we reached the far edge of the Antipar woods, the sun was high above our heads, and the hatchlings were getting restless below.

 

_ “Can you make the remainder of your journey from here?”  _ Komorebi asked, twisting around to meet my eyes.

 

I nodded, already buckling myself into my flight harness. “Yeah,” I reassured. “I just needed to take Astri’s saddle off for a bit. Thank you for the ride.”

 

The redwood dragon stopped walking as I got Astri back into her saddle. When we were ready to leave, the tiny hemlock hatchling came up to sit at my feet. He was average hatchling size, about the size of a german shepherd dog. He whined at me, and didn’t stop until I bent down to pet him.

 

The mother dragon came over, a rumble in her throat.  _ “Step away,”  _ she warned.

 

The hatchling simply continued his whining as I pulled away. I looked at the mother. “Does he have a name?” I asked, keeping my emotions in check.

 

_ “No.” _

 

“He needs one.”

 

The mother picked her hatchling up.  _ “And just what do you suggest?”  _ She hissed.

 

I could hear the hostility, but I kept my cool. “I had a hemlock egg a while ago, and the baby died in the egg. I was going to name him Tysseor.”

 

In an instant, I could feel the mother grow sympathetic. Loss of a baby was a universal pain.  _ “I am sorry,”  _ she dropped her head.  _ “His name shall be Tysseor, in honor of the baby you have lost.” _

 

I thanked the dragon heavily before turning back to Astri and Komorebi. My dragon seemed ready to go, her black wings stretched out in stark contrast against the blinding blue sky.

 

“Thank you, Komorebi, for your hospitality and care,” I said, bowing to the great redwood.

 

_ “Thank you, human Charli, for trusting my pride. I give you an alpha’s blessing of safety.” _

 

I mounted Astri, strapping myself safely to her saddle. She took off as I pushed my goggles over my eyes, her wings beating the air as we rose above the trees. I waved good-bye to the pride, warmth pulling at my heart as Tysseor cried out a happy farewell.

 

_ “Where to now?”  _ Astri asked as we raced the sun, flying west towards the Brimwich mountains.

 

I checked my map. “Erypool is just behind Brimwich. We’ll stop for dinner there, gather information, and see what other towns are around there.”

 

Astri shook her head.  _ “Mask, child. Put it on.”  _ She reminded me. I did as told, and took an oxygen mask out of a saddle bag, securing it over my mouth and nose. The last time we had flown the Brimwich mountains, I had passed out due to lack of oxygen. After that, Astri had made me buy an O2 mask in Erypool.

 

We rode the mountain range, passing through clouds and pushing against cold winds. At one point, we circled a particularly high mountain, and I reached my hand out to brush the snow gathered at the peak. The thick leather of my gloves was the only thing that kept me from losing a finger as I carved a mark in the snow.

 

Despite being so high in the air, I saw a few dragons. Mostly snow dragons and mountain dragons that were simply accustomed to the lack of breathable air.  However, I did spot what I thought to be a tempest dragon, which was bad news.

 

Astri flew with careful accuracy, obviously remembering the last time we had been in these mountains. Snow began to fall, coming down from clouds we simply flew above. I looked out across the endless expanse of sky, noting where mountain peaks stood tall against the stark clouds. 

 

_ “Child.”  _ Astri warned, her eyes seeing what I couldn’t. A row of thick white spines dragged clouds around and made wisps fly. I immediately made sure I was completely secure to all my equipment: O2 mask, saddle, and maps. 

 

Just as I checked my goggles, a giant figure came out of the clouds, forcing Astri to stop and beat her wings, keeping us in the air. I was almost thrown from her back with every stroke, my harness keeping me secured to my dragon. 

 

The tempest dragon I had spotted earlier was now hovering in front of us, his four powerful wings moving up and down rhythmically. His icy breath forced Astri to move back, her wings beating harder in an effort to keep us from spiraling down. 

 

I bent low over Astro’s back, pressing a hand into her neck. “Hold!” I yelled. “Hold Astri!” 

 

Astri couldn’t, her wing muscles working too hard. She dipped below the clouds, getting both of us snatched up in the claws of a second tempest dragon. The ten foot tall beasts fought over us, trying to win the bigger portion of the kill. I kicked, screaming as my flight harness tore at my body, ripping holes in my shirt and skin. 

 

Astri and I remained connected, despite one side of my harness being utterly destroyed. She roared out, trying to grab and protect me as the tempest dragons tore through the other side of my harness. I twisted, dislodging the claws holding me captive. I spiraled through the air, down towards the mountains. I was thankful, for a single moment, for the oxygen mask Astri made me buy. I was spared the pain of passing out, and instead, I got to watch the ground grow closer and closer. 

 

I faintly heard a screech of pain, and the whistling of wind as something approached me. I prayed it wasn’t the tempest dragons, having killed Astri and were now coming for me. 

 

I felt a sharp pain bite into my arms. Claws. Familiar black claws. A pull, and then unimaginable fire blossoming from my shoulders. I had dislocated my shoulder once, when I had lifted an iron dragon youngling. Now, the same pain caused my vision to sink, black dots playing before my eyes. 

 

_ “Stay conscious Charli!”  _ Astri called. She only used my name when it was an emergency, so I knew I must be in bad shape. Astri set me down at the base of one of the mountains, about halfway through the range. I lay in the rocks, shoulders both burning, arms practically unusable. 

 

Astri began licking my wounds, assessing the situation.  _ “Charli, I have to put your shoulders back. Could you turn over?”  _

 

I groaned, but used my legs to roll into my stomach. Astri counted me down, popping my left shoulder back after a soft count from five. I screwed my eyes shut, letting the left side relief wash over me. As soon as Astri positioned her snout on my right shoulder, I braced for the crack of pain, followed by the discomfort winding down. 

 

Astri helped me onto my back, carefully using the remains of my harness to lift me back into her saddle. I stared up at the clouds, feeling snow sting my cheeks. 

 

_ “We have no choice but to walk to Erypool,” _ Astri told me, her wings coming out and shielding me from the wind. 

 

“You could just leave me here and get help. It’d only be a few hours.” 

 

Astri hummed.  _ “Those savages would rip you apart. And even if they didn’t, you’d die of cold.” _

 

I let that wash over me, the fur pillow of my hood keeping my ears from freezing completely. 

 

Astri kept walking, her feet crunching through the snow. Either she didn’t care about the tempest pair, or she had already taken care of them. I didn’t mind either way. 

 

After an hour of our makeshift traveling, I began to hear things. A second set of feet crunching in the ice, a quiet echo of Astri’s steps. I waited, making sure I wasn’t just hallucinating. But the steps persisted, and I finally decided to tell Astri. 

 

I rolled a bit, my aching arms lighting up with pain as I moved. “Astri,” I whispered. “Something’s following us.” 

 

Astri stopped, her feet no longer making noise, and I could hear it plain as day. More steps in the snow. Astri immediately turned, pulling her wings up and out, causing herself to look bigger. A nursing habit. Protect the hatchling. 

 

Despite not being able to see what was happening, I caught most of the conversation between Astri and two other dragons. 

 

_ “Leave!” _

 

_ “We mean you no harm.” _

 

_ “Unless you mean to harm us.” _

 

_ “I just wish for safe passage.”  _

 

_ “And your bundle?” _

 

_ “She wishes for passage as well.”  _

 

_ “What is your name?” _

 

_ “Astriloquus.”  _

 

_ “We are Ryvum and Dynnon.  _ _ We mean you and your bundle no harm.” _

 

_ “Yes. I am well aware.”  _

 

_ “We are here on behalf of the mighty Komorebi.”  _

 

_ “He has asked the snow prides to protect the dragon of stars and her bundle.”  _

 

_ “We are to escort you to the final Brimwich mountain, and see your safety in Erypool.”  _

 

At that, Astri must’ve realized they meant good on their promises, and she tucked her wings back in to her body. 

 

_ “If we do not make it to Erypool by the time the sun is up, Charli will be no more.” _

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I snarked, voice weary and hoarse. However, I rolled over until I found the rope I had bought. As quickly as my heavily damaged arms could, I wrapped a makeshift flight harness, using the surviving metal loops from the original to secure the rope. 

 

“There,” I said, falling forward into Astri’s neck. “One partially functional flight harness.” 

 

Astri seemed hesitant to get in the air, but her fear of me dying outweighed her fear of me being injured, so she took off. 

 

As soon as we were airborne, Ryvum and Dynnon were beside us. I saw slight ridges and stark white skin, meaning that these were blizzard dragons. Blizzard dragons were kind, often making prides with other, less powerful dragons. I let myself drift, watching the circling blizzard dragons, which seemed to multiply the longer we flew.

 

I eventually fell asleep, despite Astri’s warnings against it. She hummed to me, carefully trying to keep me awake. She must’ve realized it wasn’t working, because right before I drifted off, she murmured a soft good-night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo thanks for fuckin reading my mess


	5. Bath time is best time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli wakes up in the hospital and that shits no fun at all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY THIS IS LATE
> 
> I went on a school trip yesterday and totally blanked on posting this. 
> 
> In other news, that fanfiction thing has a new title! ‘Last of the Great Pretenders’ it’s a Boku No Hero Academia fic collection, about eleven stories (DONT QUOTE ME ON THAT) all based around songs from an album I love. And if you’re familiar with Matt Nathanson, that’s who wrote LOTGP and who inspired this story collection. I recommend most of the album, I’m not too partial to Sky High Honey or Sunday New York Times, so I’ll be substituting other songs for those in my stories. (Namely Princess and one of like, three or four others.) 
> 
> Wow. Thanks for listening to my bullshit.

_ Step five: after one month of waiting, do heavy research.  _

_ If an egg has not hatched or begun to show hatching signs after a full thirty one days, do some research. _ _ Find out if your egg has hatching  preferences, and try to meet these standards to ensure safe hatching.  _

 

I woke up swathed in warmth and soft fabric. The lights were yellow and dim, but they hurt my head all the same. I moved my arms, surprised to find that the pain from my dislocation was no more than an ache akin to a hard day’s work. 

 

I began to test my limbs, counting fingers and toes first. Once there, I moved to the condition of my arms and legs. Fully functional, all of them. I lay back, watching the lights burn in their sockets. 

 

Before I could stand up and test my ability to walk, a woman came in. She was dressed in traditional nurses clothes, a long dress colored pale blue, a white apron with pockets and a medical pin over the heart, and a headscarf. The scarf color was, as I had been told years ago, a chosen thing. This nurse had her hair tied up in a scarf of gentle teal fabric. 

 

“You’re awake!” She said, rushing over to me. “Don’t panic,” She added, seeing the look on my face. “You’re in safe hands, and your dragon has been taken care of. She’s perfectly comfortable in the stables.” 

 

I snorted, trying to imagine Astri happy in stables. Even as a hatchling she was difficult about staying in the barn. 

 

The nurse picked up a rag from a bowl on the side table next to my bed. “You took quite the trip,” she remarked, wiping the rag across my eyes. “Your harness was destroyed, and so was your dragon’s saddle.” 

 

“You kept the saddle, right?” I asked, thankful to have the sleep cleared from my face. 

 

The nurse smiled. “Of course,” she put the rag back in the bowl. “We know that lots of people have attachments to their flight gear. Most of yours survived. All but the harness, which was too ruined to keep.” 

 

I didn’t mind the loss of my harness. I went through about a dozen a year. The saddle, however, had all the secret papers from the castle, and I couldn’t lose those. 

 

After a few minutes of the nurse carefully helping me move, I was allowed to get up. My clothes were gone, probably for the better, and had been replaced with a soft white shirt that hung loose on my chest, and a matching pair of pants that fit a bit better. 

 

“Alright, where to?” The nurse said, watching me pull on a pair of shoes. 

 

I didn't even hesitate when I told her I wanted to see Astri. The nurse led me down a few halls, all with the same warm wooden floors and creamy walls. Occasionally, my legs would weaken, and the nurse would support me for the next few steps until I regained my footing. 

 

As soon as we reached the stables, I practically ran down to the one with a chalkboard sign, detailing Astri’s galactic and nursing roots. I peered in, over the space made by the open top door. The stall was nice, open windows, a soft hay floor, but I could only see Astri. 

 

My dragon was laying on her stomach, her head resting on her feet, eyes closed. She looked incredibly upset, limp and tired. 

 

“Astri!” 

 

Almost immediately, Astri’s head shot up. She stood and wasted no time  ducking her head out of the stall door opening and pressing her face into me. I stumbled back, the nurse pressing her hand into my spine to keep me upright. 

 

“Hey Astri!” I said, reaching out to scratch behind her horns. 

 

_ “You were so cold and sleeping and the nurses all took you away and wouldn’t let me see you!”  _ Astri cried, pushing against the stall door and trying to connect completely with me. 

 

I opened the latch and walked carefully into the stall, settling down in between Astri’s front feet. She looked at me, pupils wide against her silver eyes. 

 

“How long was I out?” 

 

_ “Only a day and a half,”  _ Astri snorted.  _ “They fixed your arms and said that we can leave tomorrow.”  _

 

“Perfect,” I mumbled. “Well, I’m going to talk to the nurse about finding an inn or something where we can stay.” 

 

Astri let me leave to speak to the nurse who had brought me down. We arranged a room at an inn called the ‘Sleeping Dragon.’ It was apparently a dragon-safe inn, with rooms for dragons and riders to sleep together. 

 

I got dressed in proper clothes, my usual riding pants, tunic, leather jacket and fur hood, leather cuffs, and riding boots. Astri’s old saddle came to me to carry, and I used rope to tie a makeshift harness, keeping the saddle from getting lost. 

 

Once the harness was slung over my back, Astri and I left, walking out into the busy streets of Erypool. 

 

Where Torrine was empty, Erypool was full. People shuffled from stall to stall, buying and selling various things. Dragons of all shapes and sizes followed riders around and flew in the air, casting shadows. As Astri and I walked, we took everything in. It was warm, despite the mountains close by. People walked in every direction, filling the streets with chatter and grins. 

 

I found the Sleeping Dragon perched on a hill near the edge of Erypool. It was a fairly circular building with a landing and launch pad on top. A stone path led up to a set of wooden doors. I left Astri at the dragon rest station and went inside. 

 

The entire inn smelled like vanilla, a sweet gentleness that made me feel good. A woman in a green dress smiled at me from a desk. 

 

“I’m Charli West, and I just came from the hospice center. Do you have any dragon rooms open for the night?” I asked, leaning my elbows slightly on the desk as I spoke

 

The woman checked a pad of paper. “We have one. What’s your dragon size?” 

 

“Medium.” 

 

“Alright. Follow me.” The woman led me outside, where Astri was waiting. She followed behind me as the woman walked around the back of the building and opened a set of barn doors. 

 

Inside was a room, easily big enough for me and Astri. A bed of hay was laid for a dragon, and a mattress for a human. All the furniture was wooden, the bed frame, the cabinet, and the bookshelf were all a dark oak. As Astri got settled in, I organized our stuff. 

 

Finally, I could face it no longer. “I have to go out and buy new stuff. Saddle repair, a new harness, more rope.” 

 

Astri lifted her head.  _ “Well I’m not leaving.”  _ She said. 

 

So I left on my own, wandering the Erypool streets in hope of finding a saddle maker. On the way, I found a few coils of rope, and bought them for later. 

 

The saddle maker was near the end, a wiry kid with brown hair and shining blue eyes. When I showed him the damage to my saddle, he winced. 

 

“These are tempest claw marks. Where did you find a tempest dragon?” He asked, setting the saddle out on a wooden model. 

 

“Brimwich.” 

 

“Ah,” the kid looked at the saddle. “I can have it done in a half hour,” He decided. 

 

At the notion that I had a half hour to kill, I went to find the harness maker. The woman at that stall was sweet, helping me find a harness to match my saddle clasps. After I had my harness bought, I wandered a bit, buying a sandwich to keep my stomach from rumbling. 

 

The saddle maker had my saddle done when I went back. He rolled it up and helped me use my rope to tie the newly repaired saddle to my back again. I paid accordingly and set off for the inn. 

 

Once back, I unloaded my stuff and told Astri I was taking a bath. She just snorted and rolled over a bit. 

 

I walked the halls, following wooden arrows on the walls to the baths. Another woman in green smiled at me. 

 

“How long have you been in Erypool?” She asked, leading me into the bathroom. 

 

“Not long, unless you count the time I was unconscious,” I said

 

The woman looked mildly concerned. “What happened?” 

 

“Ambushed by tempest dragons in the mountains.” 

 

“Oh. Well, how long have you been traveling?” 

 

We stopped in front of a frosted glass door, which the woman pushed open. 

 

“A little over four days I think. All on dragonback, so I’m sore as hell,” I sighed, letting the steam from the bath wash over me. 

 

The woman grabbed two towels off a shelf. “Well, these baths are great for sore muscles. Just soak for a bit. There’s soaps over there and the towels are here. Leave your clothes on the shelf right there and drop your dirty towels in the bin outside the door,” she said, walking out with a wave. 

 

I took my clothes off, finding a bit of difficulty as I pulled my shirt over my head. But it was all good once I put my foot in the bath. It was deep enough for me to sink up to my shoulders, my legs stretched out in front of me. 

 

The woman was right, the bath was complete bliss. It was warm, bordering hot, and smelled like herbs. The water took my sore muscles and practically dissolved the aches in my shoulders and sores on my legs. I could’ve soaked there forever. But, eventually, I had to wash my hair and body and get out. 

 

After I had dried off and gotten dressed again, I dropped my towel in the laundry bin and walked barefoot back to my room, boots in my hands. 

 

Astri was still laying down when I reached the room, her eyes flickering open as I entered.  She didn’t say anything as I set my boots on the floor next to my bed and opened one of her saddlebags. I pulled out my notebook and maps, content on reading until the sun went down. Spreading the papers out on my bed, I put my finger on Erypool and traced the invisible path to my final destination. An old town in the shadow of Mount Odium called Orilon. Orilon was destroyed when Mount Odium erupted and wiped the entire population of the town out. To my knowledge, all that remained of Orilon was rubble and ash, but the eruption was 10 years ago. The freedom society had probably rebuilt it in hopes of getting a far-away base. 

 

I sighed, remembering the day Odium had erupted. I was thirteen at the time, almost fourteen. Dad was finally letting me help with egg hatchings, and we had just finished hatching an ocean dragon when Mom had rushed into the barn and called Dad to action. They both flew off on their dragons, promising me they’d be back by the time the sun rose the next day. It was the last time I ever saw them. Their dragons, a wind dragon named Noimrys and a moss dragon named Sieko, came back to the farm, badly burned and riderless. They both died on the farm, after leaving me with an affirmation of my parents love and a very special dragon egg. 

 

_ “Charli?”  _ Astri lifted her head.  _ “My child, why are you crying?”  _

 

I wiped tears from my eyes. “Just remembering some stuff,” I said, voice thick with unshed tears. “It’s nothing really.”

 

Astri got up and circled around me, settling down with me curled under her wing.  _ “It must be a very big nothing if you’re crying about it,”  _ she murmured.  _ “Tell me.”  _

 

“I was just remembering when Mount Odium erupted ten years ago,” once the words started, I couldn’t make them stop. “You weren’t around yet. My parents went out to try and stop the lava, avalanche, and ash dragons that came with the explosion. Durrayur had just been hatched, remember him? My parents left me with him and Ikair was told to look after me. They left in a hurry and never came home. Their dragons died on the farm, leaving me with your egg, which hatched three days later.” 

 

Astri was quiet, watching me wipe tears from my cheeks.  _ “Those dragon-scale tombstones in the garden, are they?”  _

 

“My parents? No, there weren’t bodies left to bury. The tombstones are just in remembrance.”

 

_ “Ah.”  _ Astri pressed her nose into my chest.  _ “How old am I?”  _

 

I thought for a few seconds. “Nursing dragons age twice as fast, so you are about 26, three years older than me.”

 

Astri seemed content with this, and rested her head down for sleep. I saw no other option, seeing as I was being held hostage under Astri’s wing, than to follow her lead. I rested my head down and fell asleep instantly. 


	6. Rain, Rain, go away...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli continues to find out that the world outside her barn is full of fun surprises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YO. THIS IS BEING WRITTEN AS I PUBLISH THIS
> 
> No seriously, I’m writting chapter 13 as I submit this. 
> 
> Bloody chapter. 
> 
> Anymahow. 
> 
> Love y’all. 
> 
> No news. 
> 
> ‘Last of the Great Pretenders’ is set to come out in June, maybe July, depending on my schedule/productivity

_ Step 6: take note of when your egg begins to move and thin.  _

_ Dragons in the egg, often referred to as babies, will begin to thin the walls of their egg to aid them in breaking out. It is wise during this stage to leave your egg in a sunny place, as the light will encourage the baby out.  _

 

When I woke up, I realized very quickly Astri was gone. I sat up, wondering how a thousand pound dragon was kidnapped without me noticing, and then I realized Astri was outside, watching the sun rise over the hills. 

 

I tugged my boots and jacket on, wary of the cold morning air. I joined Astri in her sun-watching experience, calmed by the way the breeze rippled across the grass. 

 

_ “When are we leaving?”  _ Astri asked, not moving. 

 

“I need to eat and pack, then we’re out of here. We should hit Norwich by noon, and we can rest at the Croilton keep at night. Then we just. Save the queen in the morning.”

 

Astri snorted.  _ “You make it sound simple,”  _ She grumbled.  _ “You’re forgetting that Croilton keep and all the Croilton land is under quarantine, no one allowed, not even us.”  _

 

I groaned, throwing my head back and staring at the clouds. “That means we have to trace all the way around all of that. Through Pirn and Sheffield, but Sheffield has strict anti-dragon rules. We could backtrack over Lowestoft though,” I mused. “Which means we could stop at Skystead right before we hit Orilon, and get ready.”   
  


_ “Sounds like a plan.”  _

 

“I’ll go get your saddle bags packed,” I said softly, leaving my dragon behind to watch the sun peer slowly out from beyond the horizon

 

We were ready to leave by breakfast, both of us getting food from a stall in town. I found the take-off docks, and Astri let me ride on her back as we followed the sight of airborne dragons. 

 

Right before we took off, I sent a note to the castle via messenger bird. Check on my farm, ask Eindo if the eggs were all there, ask Ikair how the hatchlings were doing, make sure all of my stuff was in one piece. I watched the snowy grey pigeon fly away, following a pre-set path to the castle. 

 

The flight manager gave Astri and I the ok to take off, and just like that, we left. Erypool shrunk beneath us as we followed a rider and her flicker dragon towards the clouds. We evened out in a flight zone, Astri’s wing strokes beating in time with dragons next to us. 

 

The rider definitely reflected her dragon. Both were smaller than average, yellow-orange hair or scales and bright brown eyes. The candle-like flames that burned off the dragon absorbed into the rider’s clothes, leaving a smoky smell and a slight char on the saddle. I took note of how the rider sat, low in her seat and prepared for something. Whether it was a race or a fight, I would never know, because the pair left the flight zone mid-morning, as we flew above the Durstoll river. 

 

As Astri and I glided closer to Norwich, I began to grow restless. I was incredibly close to telling Astri to land so I could stretch my legs, run around, do something, anything to stave off the boredom burning in my chest. 

 

But we didn’t stop, only kept our pace with the birds as Norwich appeared in the distance, a rainy town of farmers and crops. True to its weather patterns, a light rain, followed by a heavy downpour began right as Astri and I set down, forcing us to find shelter in the first dragon barn we could find. 

 

The barn residents were all riders, either passing through or penniless. Bunks were lined against the walls, ladders leaning on the old wood so people could sleep. Worn-out bookshelves and desks shone with candles, and metal barrels held crackling flames and hopes of warm fingers. In the corner, hay was strewn across the floor to make a nesting site, a few eggs pressed in the center of the dragon pile. 

 

_ “It smells awful in here,”  _ Astri grumbled, her eyes narrowing at the dragon pile.  _ “You must be crazy if you think I’m sleeping there.”  _

 

I softly reminded her we’d only be here until the worst of the storm passed outside, but she wasn’t convinced. So instead of dealing with her, I asked around for an empty bunk and a space to rest my feet. 

 

My bunk was set at the top, near a hole in the wall that allowed me a nice view of the weather. As I settled down, unbraiding my hair and letting it dry, Astri found a nice spot to curl up, keeping a watchful eye on the eggs. 

 

I had barely shut my eyes when someone began shouting, and Astri’s voice cut through the commotion.  _ “It’s the eggs!”  _

 

I was on my feet before I registered what was happening. This wasn’t the best place for a hatching, but it would have to do. I pushed people out of the way, getting to the egg easily. A mother dragon was curled around the cracking egg, concern on her face. 

 

“Everyone move, I know what I’m doing!” I yelled, making the concerned person who tried to approach me back away. 

 

“And just who the hell are you?” Someone shouted. I stood, turning to face the man who yelled. He was tall, maybe twice my weight, and looked like a bulldog. 

 

“I’m Charli West, the only official dragon hatcher in Otrela, a member of the queen’s court, and the only person qualified to hatch an egg. You got a problem with that?”

 

Apparently, he didn’t, because the man backed down and let me keep working. I kneeled next to the egg, fingers tracing the spider web of splits all across the blue-grey surface. 

 

I stood, opening one of Astri’s saddlebags and digging through it until I found what I was looking for. My apron, gloves, and a tarp. I prepared, spreading the tarp across the ground under the egg. As I tied my apron, a timid woman in the crowd asked if she could help. 

 

“You can,” I said, pulling on my gloves. “Can you get a bucket of water and a few towels?”

 

The woman ran off to get the materials I requested while I crouched next to the egg, taking a deep breath. Astri kept her distance, and kept everyone else away as I worked. 

 

_ “Please be careful,”  _ the mother dragon said, her blue eyes shining with worry. 

 

I nodded. “I will,” I reassured. 

 

Just like that, the egg began to really crack, shaking and rocking. I steadied it, quietly humming as I held the egg with my knees and tapped the surface with my fingers. It was a coaxing technique that helped the baby hatch in the right spot. I kept the tapping up until the baby tapped back, a muffled heartbeat of a sound. 

 

The egg split even more as the baby responded to my tapping, and I began to really take initiative. I pushed my fingers into the crack, helping it spread and grow. The baby worked from the inside, shoving its face into the spot where my fingers were digging. 

 

Finally, the head burst through. I quickly shoved my hands into the egg, curling my fingers around the hole the baby’s head had made and pulling. Shards of egg shell came away, helping the baby to wriggle. 

 

“Towel!” I yelled. The woman with the basin of water handed me a damp towel, and I began to scrub the baby’s face off, clearing its nose and mouth. 

 

The barn went silent as the baby gave its first chirp, whining at me as I cleared the egg gunk off its eyes. I smiled, responding in my own chirps and whistles. The baby mimicked my whistling to the best of its abilities as I finalized the hatching, slowly breaking off pieces of eggshell and lifting the baby out of its egg. 

 

I carried the baby close to my chest, despite the slime coating its body. I held the baby up to its mother, letting her sniff around and give the baby a quiet kiss. 

 

I took the baby, now officially a hatchling, to the basin and bathed it, finding out that it was a she. 

 

“Pulviam,” I declared, taking a clean towel and wrapping the rain dragon hatchling in the warm cloth. “Her name shall be Pulviam.” It wasn’t a proper naming ceremony, not even close, but it was better than nothing. 

 

The mother dragon huffed, and I placed Pulviam carefully down in the mother's clutches, letting the hatchling navigate on her own feet. 

 

I turned back to Astri, bloody and smiling, and she rolled her eyes.  _ “Take a shower,”  _ she said, directing me out into the rain. I let the downpour bathe me, drowning my worries in water. The good thing about summer rain is that it’s warm, and I could use it to wash away the days I had just lived. If I tried hard enough, I could pretend I was at home, caught under the clouds and grinning, safe and ignorant. But I wasn’t. I was miles from my barn, unable to know what tomorrow held. I could die tomorrow. I could lose everything. I could fail. 

 

The good thing about rain is that no one can tell if you’re crying. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love ya
> 
> ❤️


	7. Things are just peachy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are not just peachy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is serious. 
> 
> Sorrynotsorry
> 
> I also hope it’s the right chapter   
> I never check beforehand
> 
> Nothing else to report
> 
> Bye

_ Step 7: Prepare a hatch site. _

_ Dragon eggs will wobble when they are ready for hatching, and you want to be ready as well. Set up an area where you can make a mess, as hatchings are usually messy. There should be a basin of water and towels nearby, so that you can wash your hatchling immediately after it has been hatched.  _

 

The storm let up that afternoon, as the sun approached the horizon. I thanked the barn folks for letting me stay, and they returned the thanks for my help with Pulviam. The timid woman who had helped with the water came up to me as I was preparing for flight. She seemed to shine in the empty field we were in, her hair rippling in the wind. 

 

“Thank you,” she said. “For letting me help you.” 

 

“Really, it’s nothing,” I replied, buckling my harness across my chest. 

 

The woman looked at Astri. “It is though.”

 

“Is not.”

 

“Is.”

 

_ “Oh, for God’s sake!”  _ Astri huffed.  _ “Can we just go without all this childish bickering?”  _

 

I rolled my eyes. “Of course.” 

 

I mounted Astri, finding my usual spot and leaning down as we took off. I was greeted in the air by the mother dragon and Pulviam, both surrounded by rain-heavy clouds.  I smiled, pulling my hood down so the mother could see my face. She chirped at me, Pulviam settled in between her shoulders. I waved, happy to see the pair back in the clouds where they belonged.

 

Astri and I flew together over the fields between Pirn and Norwich, watching farmland give way to fruit tree fields and orderly rows of bushes. I pulled an apple from my own saddle bag and ate it in the air, hunger boiling in my stomach. 

 

We finally reached Pirn, a fishing town settled on the north coast. They mostly caught cold fish from the Venfel ocean, while the southern town of Dawring caught warmer water fish from the Albermark ocean. 

 

I set Astri down at the landing docks, happily breathing in the ocean air. My own farming island was set in the Venfel, so the smell of salt and fish was a familiar thing to me. I dismounted and checked the clock set into the church tower. Almost nine at night. I’d been flying for a solid three hours, and I could feel the toll it had on my legs. I needed a place to lie down. 

 

Upon voicing my concerns to Astri, she huffed.  _ “This town never sees visitors,”  _ she pointed out.  _ “You’re gonna have a hard time finding an inn.”  _

 

“I’ll find something,” I grumbled, unwilling to give up. 

 

The Pirn townspeople weren’t much of a help. Most of them simply said I’d have to find a dragon barn outside of town to bed down for the night. One woman pointed out I could catch a ferry to Skystead, but I would’ve preferred flying, no matter how sore I got over the ocean. 

 

I gave in after the clock struck ten, the deep chime settling into my bones even after it had faded from my ears. I pulled the doors to the church open, leaving Astri outside, much to her complaining. 

 

The church was silent, an eeriness pulling at my heart. I looked at the wooden sign on the door. Ecclesia Siderum. The Church of the Stars. My feet made no noise as I walked up the aisle, admiring the carvings on the ends of the pews. Each one depicted a scene from the Stellae, an ancient book that was the basis for the  Filii Stella, an old religion that was only practiced in Pirn and its sister town Lowestoft. 

 

“Child?” 

 

The voice was so familiar, I thought Astri had followed me into the temple. But as I turned, I could see an old woman walking out of the shadows. 

 

“Oh, am I interrupting you?” I asked, turning to leave. 

 

The woman shook her head. “Not at all dear. Why don’t you sit down. You look so weary.” 

 

I was about to protest, to tell the woman I had a time-sensitive mission and I was just looking for a place to sleep. But she was already settling down in a pew close to the front of the church, and I followed her. 

 

She was sitting with her hands clasped in front of her, fingers laced together. I sat next to her, unsure of what to do. 

 

The woman seemed to pick up on my discomfort. “Y’know,” she said, looking up at the statues of Stellae deities. “I have a granddaughter just like you. Always spiriting off to some place or another. She never has time to sit with me and pray. She never even has time to let me say goodbye.” 

 

I nodded, my own hands folding in my lap. “I understand,” I said quietly. “I wish I had time for goodbyes.” 

 

“My dear, there is always time for a goodbye.” 

 

“Not always.”

 

“Yes always,” the woman insisted. “If you have a goodbye that never reached someone, tell Vir Vale.” She gestured to a statue of a man who was sitting on a rock, his eyes reaching to the heavens, his hand outstretched as if he was waiting to help someone up. 

 

“He is our man of farewell,” The woman explained. “He will make sure your goodbye reaches your parents.” 

 

I didn’t think to question how she knew I never said goodbye to my parents, I just bowed my head and pictured the man in the statue, Vir Vale, taking my goodbye in his hand and giving it to the stars, to my parents. 

 

I looked back up at the statue, tears sliding down my face. I didn’t remember starting to cry, but I wiped the tears away before I could let more fall. The woman looked over at me, her own eyes misty. 

 

“Child, what is your name?” She asked, reaching over and taking my hands. 

 

“Charli.” 

 

The woman smiled. “You look like my granddaughter. Such wild eyes she has, full of spark and life. And her soul could bring light to even the darkest of places.” 

 

I nodded, my eyes scanning the statues around the room. They were all there, except for one. I paused, confused by the lack of a marble figure on the far right. 

 

“What’s with the missing statue?” I asked, looking at the woman. 

 

She shook her head. “It’s always been missing. That’s supposed to be Domina Est Alas. The lady of wings. She is our freedom. Her wings were made to fly, so we could all be reminded that we can achieve the impossible.”

 

I let that sink in. “Was she stolen?”

 

“No,” The lady smiled, chuckling a bit. “She left. Must’ve gotten bored here and flew off again.” 

 

I smiled as we sat in silence, blissfully unaware of the passage of time. I couldn’t tell if I’d been in this temple for seconds or hours. But time didn’t seem to exist past those heavy doors. 

 

We sat there, the misfit pair, until the clock struck eleven, and the woman stood. I followed her lead, walking until we stood in front of the largest statue, a woman with a blindfold and a man with a wooden walking stick. Inscribed into the stone at the base of the statue was ‘ Ut animas nostras et secundum duci astra.’

 

“May our lives be led by our hearts and by our stars,” The woman said, looking up at the statue in adoration. “Those are our Praesul. The wife guides our hearts in life, and the husband guides our souls to the stars once we pass.” 

 

I nodded faintly, noticing a metal bowl filled with various trinkets. The woman saw me eyeing the bowl and she smiled. “That’s for gifts. Small things to give the gods so they carry your blessings. The more you value the item you give up, the more you are remembered by the gods.”

 

I nodded again, thanking the woman for showing me around the church and letting me pray with her. She smiled and bowed slightly before leaving the temple. I stared up at the statue, at the woman and the man. The woman was smiling, despite being blind, and the man held his wife’s hand, guiding her without complaint. 

 

I headed out to Astri, silently digging through my saddlebags until I found what I was looking for. Astri didn’t try and talk to me as I pulled the church doors open and disappeared into the temple again. 

 

I walked up and down the statues, reading off the names of the gods. Vir Vale on his rock. The missing Domina Est Alas and her wings made to fly. Dominam Messis, the lady of harvest and her twin sister Dominae Largitatis, lady of bounty. Vir Gaudium and Dominae Turbare, the man of joy and the lady of sadness. The Matercula and Sator, the great mother and father. And finally, I stopped in front of the Praesul, the almighty defenders, the merciful leaders. Their bowl was carved with words, both in the ancient language and in english. Illustre Stelle Vobis. May the stars guide you.

 

I knelt in front of the bowl, looking into the eyes of the Praesul husband. He was staring down at me, as if waiting for my sacrifice. 

 

I walked out of the temple, stoically putting my scissors back in my saddle bag and taking off into the night sky on Astri, leaving my braided hair and my prayers behind me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️


	8. Sometimes, we bottle our feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli realizes she might not be cut out for this. She might also be stressed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS SAD
> 
> AND LATE. 
> 
>  
> 
> SORRY

_ Step 8: when the egg starts to rock back and forth, be prepared to spend the next thirty minutes helping the dragon hatch.  _

_ Babies in the egg grow impatient close to hatch time, and often rock the egg to signal that they are ready to break from the shell. As this happens, you should cover your clothes or change into something you don’t mind being dirty. _

 

Astri and I flew above the clouds, the chill soaking my bones and making me shiver. I caught a few naps here and there, but I was mostly awake, unable to sleep. Astri tried to talk to me a few times, but most of our conversations reflected our first one.  

 

_ “Child,”  _

 

“Don’t.”

 

I could tell Astri wanted to ask about the temple, about the old lady I’d spoken to, about my obvious lack of a braid. But I wouldn’t let her, and I probably never would. That was personal, an intimate moment between me and the stars. No one got to share that with me. 

 

Finally, Astri gave up and continued her flying, keeping us steady until she grew tired. She began to dip below the clouds, showing the ocean and coast, so small from my viewpoint. 

 

I put a hand on Astri’s neck. “Let’s set down and find a place to sleep,” I suggested. 

 

Astri happily took us down, finding a nice spot with a few trees and a beautiful view of the ocean. I dismounted and looked around. A small pond, three trees, and a few bushes. I took out some food for Astri and pulled off her riding gear. I waited until she had eaten and fallen asleep to pull my clothes off and walk into the pond. 

 

The water sent a jolt up my spine and to my skull, a ripple of frozen cold replaced by tingling iciness. I waded out until I was shoulder-deep and the water no longer felt cold. I had no soap, but I made the best of it by scraping my fingernails across my scalp over and over again. I let myself float in the water, staring up at the sky. The clouds dragged lazily across their midnight backdrop, outlined by stars. I raised a hand and pointed to the constellation spearhead, my finger stopping on the spearhead’s point. The brightest star in the night sky, and the beacon most sailors used to guide them to land. 

 

I floated for a while, my eyes closed, until I couldn’t feel my legs and decided that the water had gotten just a tad too cold for my body. I swam back to shore, wrapping myself in a towel and quickly changing into my second set of clothes. I dunked the clothes I had just been wearing into the pond, letting them dry on a tree branch while I settled down to sleep next to Astri. 

 

I woke up to Astri’s gentle murmuring, her quiet attempts to rouse me working as I rubbed my eyes and groaned. 

 

_ “Alright,”  _ Astri began.  _ “Now you’ve got to tell me what happened.”  _

 

I stood and stretched, arching my back and listening to my spine pop. “I don’t have to tell you  anything.” I pointed out. 

 

Astri snorted, her eyes narrowing.  _ “Charli Mayburr West. What did you do in that temple last night?”  _ She demanded. 

 

I shrugged. “Some old lady came in and I prayed with her.”

 

_ “For a whole hour?”  _

 

“Yeah.” 

 

Astri clearly didn’t believe me, but she didn’t press for details until I began to pack my clothes up.  _ “So, about your hair.”  _

 

“Nope.” 

 

Astri huffed, obviously annoyed with my lack of cooperation.  _ “Charli, you have to tell me something!”  _

 

“No I don’t!” I yelled back, reaching the end of my rope. “News flash, you’re not my mother! I don’t have to tell you everything I do. What I did last night is none of your business, so stay the fuck out of it!” I wasn’t much for swearing, but I was too angry to care about my language now. 

 

Astri stepped back, her pupils widening, then quickly narrowing.  _ “Fine,”  _ she said, her voice unusually icy.  _ “If that’s how you feel.”  _ And she took off without another word. 

 

I watched Astri grow farther and farther, dread settling in my stomach. I knew a ferry would pass by eventually, and I could catch a ride that way, but I couldn’t think straight. Astri had left. She was nothing but a black dot in the distance, vanishing between clouds. I was done for, left to sink on this island forever. 

 

I sat down beneath a tree, my throat tight with tears. Astri, who I had raised from a hatchling, who had watched me grow up, who wrapped herself around me and held me tight when I had slipped and fallen from the barn roof, who promised to protect me as long as the stars shone, was gone. 

 

Finally, I let myself cry, the warmth of my tears burning a path down my cheeks. I curled in on myself, pressing my forehead to the earth and letting all my emotions go. The pain of this trip, the weight of the court’s expectations, the awful, mind-numbing agony of all my burdens and secrets came out in my tears, each one getting lost in the soil, the ground taking my pain and leaving me with nothing but a gentle sense of fear. Just like that, I was thirteen again, curled in my bed in the empty house, wasted of tears. I was a child, apprehensively choosing my next move without the guiding hands of my parents. I had rose from my bed with nothing, no sadness or mourning, just an underlying fear. 

 

I settled beneath the tree, placing my back against the bark. I knew a ferry would come by. Whether it would stop was a different story, but I knew it would come. If I could jump just right, I’d be able to make it onto the boat. But I wasn’t sure the jump was possible, especially with how far out the boat would be. 

 

To give my hands something to do, I began to pack all of my riding stuff up, wrapping the saddle around the bridle, and using rope to tie it all to my harness. I began to trek around, trying to find a wild dragon or two. Maybe I could get a ride. 

 

I had only gone a few feet when the pond began to ripple. I hoped it was only fish. Pond and river dragons were really mean, and played with their food via riddles. 

 

Unfortunately, my luck just seemed to be getting worse, as the sleek body of a pond dragon rose from the water, her solid blue eyes staring down at me. She was a very pretty dragon, thin and long, with muddy blue ridges down her spine. Her scales reflected a pond bottom, a mosaic of greens, browns, greys, and blue. 

 

_ “Hmmmmm. I didn’t think I’d get a meal today,”  _ she hummed, coming up on land and circling me, creating a barrier with her body. I had nowhere to go. 

 

I planted my feet wide, not ready to give up. “Yeah, and you won’t.” 

 

The dragon made a gurgling sound that I realized was laughter.  _ “You are incredibly naive,”  _ she said, her eyes narrowing.  _ “Your tiny human brain cannot comprehend the life of a dragon.”  _

 

“Sure. Ok,” I grumbled. “So, can you kill me now? I’m kinda in a rough spot.” 

 

The dragon nodded.  _ “Yes. I heard you and your dragon yelling,”  _ she stopped her circling to stare into my eyes.  _ “Do you need help?”  _

 

I was shocked. “Is this. Is this a trick?” I said, wary. 

 

_ “No.”  _

 

I nodded slowly. “Ok. Sure. Say I believe you and say that I need help. What are you going to do?” 

 

The dragon nodded in the direction of a boat, painted with the familiar crest of Pirn.  _ “I can get you there,”  _ she said. 

 

“Deal.” 

 

The water of the pond rippled as the dragon allowed me on her back, waiting as I climbed on. She took off easily, her wings stretching out so impossibly wide. 

 

She hovered over the boat and let me fall a few feet to the deck, where I waved to her as she flew off back to her pond. I paced a while, thinking about where I’d stay on the ship. The cargo hold was probably full, and the common area had people that would notice I hadn’t gotten on the ship via the docks. I had no choice but to bed down with the dragons. 

 

The dragon hold wasn’t hard to find. The doors were huge, and I had a bit of difficulty pulling them open. But I made my way into the hold without a hitch. 

 

Of course, I was confronted by about ten unfamiliar dragons, each one alone and cramped down here. I maneuvered my way into an empty spot, settling down next to a sleeping blood dragon. Blood dragons were irritable on the best of days, so sitting next to one was risky. But this one had a saddle and bridle that was obviously rubbing wrong on its scales. 

 

Despite how much Astri would’ve chewed me out about this, I carefully began to loosen the bridle buckles, letting the blood dragon breathe and move properly. It woke up, the solid red eyes staring at me in indignation. 

 

I backed away, continuing to make eye contact with the beast before me. His eyes narrowed and his mouth opened slightly, letting loose a growl. I growled back, trying to assert my dominion. I was a challenger, fighting for space to rest. The dragon growled louder, his nostrils flaring. 

 

We challenged back and forth for a while, and finally I got the reaction I wanted. He lunged at me, jaws snapping in hopes of biting me in half. I jumped, feeling the pound of adrenaline pulsing in my ears. Blood dragons were vicious when provoked, so I was careful when I fell onto the dragon’s head, wrapping my arms across the beast’s snout and locking my hands together. He writhed, trying to throw me off, but I held tight, tying my ankles together and snarling. 

 

It would eventually come down to a test of endurance. I had a lot, but the dragon had just woken up. He would last a while. I waited out the thrashing, then the show of power, until the dragon let his head fall in defeat. I paused, making sure I could see his eyes. If his eyes were closed, he was faking it, and was waiting for me to get up so he could attack me. But his eyes were open, and I rolled off. The blood dragon gave me a final snarl, and let his head go loose. I bowed, purely out of respect, and carefully loosened the buckles of the dragon’s saddle. He let out a breath that smelled heavily of copper, but that was just blood dragon biology, they often smelled like metals. I watched his eyes flicker with relief and he flopped over. I curled into his stomach, relaxing in the warmth of the dragon’s scales. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


	9. Water you doing? (Get it, water?? Because I almost drowned! Not funny? No? Ok)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli reunites with an old friend and they talk things out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at updating
> 
> I mean 
> 
> Wow
> 
> I’m sick, so it’s a miracle this is up. 
> 
> We’re getting closer to the point of no return where the story stops because I’m lazy and would rather write the epilogue than the actual story

_ Step 9: when the egg has begun to hatch, be careful that you’ve got the egg upright.  _

_ If a dragon is facing down, and you hatch the egg upright, the dragon could potentially have severe injuries. A technique you can use is to tap the to of the egg the same way a mother would. It will draw the baby’s face upwards to the top.  _

 

I never dream. 

 

I dreamt once, the day my parents died. I dreamt they were there with me, making dinner and talking about eggs. It was happy, and made me cry when I woke up. 

 

Now, I was dreaming again, and it wasn’t happy. I was falling, the ocean surface growing closer. The water rippled with giant ocean dragons, beasts of unimaginable size and strength that swallowed ships whole. I twisted, but it was a futile attempt. I was going to die here. 

 

Light flooded my vision as I spun, leveling out and facing the sun. I tried to shield my eyes, but the light was part of me now, filling my body and replacing my bones with filaments of pure energy. I let the power, the sheer burn of the energy, intertwine with me, pulling me apart and putting me back together, knitting my body whole using thread of pure spirit. I screamed, the burn growing and growing until I hit the water below me, the salty tang of the ocean filling my mouth and lapping at my heart. 

 

My eyes flew open, sleep abandoning me for a hard, cold reality. For a minute, I thought I was still dreaming. My eyes burned and the shimmering of the ocean surface sat above me. But no, this was real, and I was drowning. The blood dragon I had slept with was gone, as were most other dragons. I was alone, floating in the water. 

 

I hadn’t had time to properly take a breath, so my lungs burned and my vision swam after only a few seconds. I bit down on my lip, feeling blood drip slowly into my mouth. But I refused to die here, dragged into a watery abyss. 

 

Water pushed at my mouth, begging to take me, wrap me up and pull me away from my suffering. I had no choice. It was either breathe or pass out. I let out all the air in my lungs, watching the bubbles rise to the surface, and I took the next breath in automatically. 

 

It was like fire burning down my throat. I coughed, which only pulled more water into my lungs. The ache spread from my throat down my chest and I desperately, with my last stitch of consciousness, grabbed at Astri’s saddle, only to find it missing. I resigned myself to die then and there, letting my eyes close and letting the ocean take me.  

 

I don’t remember being pulled from the water, or being surrounded by flicker dragons. But it all happened. At least, that’s what I was told. 

 

I woke up warm, dry, and safe. A pride of flicker dragons was sleeping around me, the midday sun blazing overhead. I looked around, seeing a familiar bundle and an even more familiar dragon. 

I tried, so desperately to call out, to let her know I was safe. But the water had taken its toll on my body, and I was left voiceless. Instead, I crawled forward, coming shakily to my feet and wobbling over to the shaded spot under a tree. I fell to my knees, tears tearing at my throat and making me shudder. I reached out, hands shaking like crazy, but she was awake already, and she had seen me. 

 

_ “Charli!”  _ Astri yelled, her head shooting up and immediately wrapping around me in a hug.  _ “Oh gods Charli!”  _ she sobbed, pressing her face into mine. I was on my knees, my legs too weak to support me. I cried until I had nothing left, no energy remaining as I let myself fall over Astri’s neck. 

 

My dragon’s eyes shut, her heavy breathing a familiar constant as I lay. Finally, she looked at me again, sadness burning in her eyes.  _ “You died Charli,”  _ she said.  _ “You’ve been dead since yesterday. I thought,”  _ she began to choke up.  _ “I thought I’d have to bury you here.”  _

 

I stroked Astri’s snout, trying to tell her it was going to be okay. I was going to be okay. But I couldn’t. So I kept comforting Astri, letting her pain flood out. 

 

We lay together, one entity again, for a while. The moon had begun to peer out of the clouds by the time Astri talked again. 

 

“ _ I’m so sorry for leaving you.”  _

 

“I’m sorry for yelling,” I said. My voice was awful, quiet and scratched up. But I could talk again, and that’s what mattered. “I should’ve never.” 

 

_ “Oh shut up.” _

 

“Will do.”

 

_ “I missed you.”  _

 

“I missed you too.” 

 

We curled up and slept there, with the waking pride of dragons. I let my eyes flutter shut a bit, aware of Astri’s breathing and shifting. She had her tail around me protectively, her front feet settled around my legs, and her head rested on my chest. It was the same way she laid with eggs and newly hatched hatchlings. She was comforting me and nurturing me.

 

I slept like the dead, no pun intended. My eyes shut, and didn’t open until the birds sang above my head. The flicker dragons were gone, leaving behind a smell of burnt out candles. I held the smell, curled up in Astri’s clutches. She was continuing to breath around me, her eyes open but shut. She was sleeping with her second eyelid down, but her first up. She watched me subconsciously, her fear causing her to exaggerate her precautions. 

 

Astri woke up once the sun was fully up, around seven. I carefully dug food out of her saddlebags and ate, swallowing gingerly around the pain in my throat. Astri watched, whimpering whenever I winced. She ate after me, and let me carefully re-saddle her. It was nice to finally be back with Astri. We’d only been separated two days, maybe three, I couldn’t remember. But she was careful, sniffing me over and recoiling when she reached my shirt. 

 

_ “Blood dragon?”  _ She said.  _ “You asserted dominance over a blood dragon?”  _

 

I told her the story, and she huffed.  _ “Typical Charli. I’m gone for a few hours, and you pick a fight with the nastiest dragon species.”  _

 

“Second,” I replied, bending to reach the buckles under Astri’s chest. “I’d say tsunami dragons are the worst.” 

 

Astri rolled her eyes.  _ “Yeah. And if I hadn’t shown up, you probably would’ve tried to fight one of those too.”  _

 

I laughed, the hollow sound tearing at my throat. “Ok but I won.” 

 

We settled for a bit before take off, mostly to help Astri get readjusted to her saddle. She told me about her misfortune with a pride of mountain dragons, and how she saw the sinking ship and noticed the saddle floating safely and me under the water. 

 

I nodded, taking the time to drink, despite the burn as the water went down. “Yeah, I suppose I should tell you about Pirn.” 

 

_ “Yes please.”  _

 

I stared up at the sky. “I met that old woman in the temple, what was it called? The Ecclesia Siderum. She told me about her granddaughter, and how she never got to spend time with her. It really hurt. She talked about how there was a Stellae god of goodbye, and I said goodbye to mom and dad. We prayed for a while, and she took me to see all the gods and goddesses of the Stellae. She told me about the offering bowl, and how, if you leave something of great value to you, your prayers and wishes will be seen by the gods faster. I just remembered, in that moment, how much mom had loved my long hair. And how dad use to brush it out of my face when I helped him with hatchlings. It seemed appropriate to leave it for them.” 

 

Astri was silent for a minute.  _ “So,”  _ She said finally.  _ “You gave yourself a haphazard haircut so you could honor your parents?”  _

 

“Yep.” 

 

_ “You look like a hot mess”  _

 

I laughed, a genuine, deep laugh. “Wow thanks.” 

 

Astri snorted, her version of laughter.  _ “It’s true! You’ve got curls everywhere!”  _

 

We left not long after that. I watched the land grow into a distant dot, passing underneath me. The wind whipped my hair, and I sighed. Eventually, I tied a makeshift headband to keep it out of my face. We passed farmland and train tracks. A few lakes mixed into the blur of green land, but it was mostly vegetation. I did see a redwood dragon though, and I thought of Komorebi, all the way back at the Antipar woods. He must’ve remembered me, redwoods remembered everything. 

 

Eventually, we settled down and napped, the toll of literally drowning making me very tired. Astri had me sleep on top of her when we landed in a tree. She curled around the trunk, leaving me cocooned in her wings. I slept peacefully, back to the usual dreamless dozing I was use to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love ya  
> 💙💙💙💙💙💙


	10. Welcome to the city, have you seen my dignity?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli starts the final leg of her journey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop whoop guess who got injured last weekend?
> 
> Me 
> 
> It was me. 
> 
> And it wasn’t pretty. 
> 
> I still can’t extend my arm completely 
> 
> Anyway. Have my bullshit

_ Step ten: Prepare for a long hatching.  _

_ The head will be the first thing to hatch, so be ready. When the head bursts through, the space made by the head will be too small for the neck, so a hatcher must push their hands into the hole and spread it wider, helping the baby breathe.  _

 

When I woke up, Astri was awake, her eyes mostly open. She must not have slept. Now that I thought about it, she hadn’t seemed tired when we lay down to nap. I sat up and stretched to the best of my ability, gritting my teeth as my saddle burns stung. I’d need to walk to wherever we’d be going, lest I risk infection or permanent injury. My back was already screwed up from being bent over Astri most of my life, so I couldn’t even fathom adding saddle infection to the list of reasons I shouldn’t fly. 

 

Astri was a good sport, murmuring about how walking would do my bones some good. I grinned and dropped out of the tree, regretting it as soon as my aching legs caught me on the ground.

 

_ “Slow down, you’re not invincible!”  _ Astri called, crawling out of the tree head first, her eyes trained on me the whole time.  _ “I know you may think you’re indestructible, but I’m here to tell you you aren’t.”  _

 

“Mhm. Sure thing, Mom,” I said, putting my hands on my lower back and pushing back. My spine gave four loud pops, accompanied by the clicks of my neck as I turned my head.  Astri shook her head as I twisted left and right, my hips popping and loosening. 

 

We began to walk, making note of landmarks. I pointed out the Cyvatos sea stack, comparing it to my map. We were still a full day of walking away from Lowestoft. And even then, we’d have to backtrack across the ocean to make it to Skystead. Astri suggested flat flight, but I told her I didn’t have the right kind of saddle. 

 

_ “This is an emergency rescue mission,”  _ Astri said.  _ “Can’t you bend the situation for a few hours?” _

 

I rolled my eyes and muttered a few choice words, but I climbed onto Astri’s back anyway. She sat still while I moved around, stretching my legs out behind me. Usually, flat flying or low flying was used in dragon races. The rider laid flat on their belly, allowing the dragon to fly faster. Commonly, there were low flight saddles, longer and thicker, with straps for the legs. I had a seated flight saddle, and it would suffice, but I’d have to be careful.

 

Once I was fully situated, Astri took off. It was a strange sensation, flying flat. I was so use to my feet in stirrups, thighs pulled in and back bent low. This felt loose, uncontrolled, like I’d fall right off the back of my dragon. 

 

But I didn’t, and we made it to Lowestoft without a problem. Lowestoft was a twin town to Pirn, so we set down and immediately recognized the fishy smell in the air. Tower tops from churches cast shadows against the cobblestone street and brick houses. Thankfully, unlike Pirn, Lowestoft saw lots of visitors, people who were waiting to catch a ferry to Skystead. Astri and I found a place to wait out the night, curled up together in the open-air attic of a hotel. 

 

I fell backwards onto the bed, relief sinking into my legs and feet. Astri snorted that I was being over-dramatic, but I didn’t care. The soft mattress was bliss. 

 

I eventually got up to bathe, using the baths the hotel had. They weren’t as good as the Erypool baths, but I wasn’t nearly as sore as I had been when I had gotten in, so that was a plus. That, combined with actual soap and warmth, kept me soaking in the steaming water until my fingers turned wrinkly. 

 

Astri looked up as I exited the bathroom.  _ “Well don’t you look professional,” _ she said. I turned my head to look at myself in the mirror next to the dresser. I hardly recognized myself. I was always muscular, tall and lean. But days of hard journeying on dragonback had left me a bit thinner than usual, my cheeks sunken in a tad and my eyes a bit duller. My freckles, usually reserved for a light dusting on my arms, now dominated my face. I could’ve made constellations using my cheeks. It was a bit scary what a few days in the sun could do to me. I lifted my tank top, surprised to see that I could count my ribs. The usual scars from work were paler, or maybe I had just tanned. I carefully turned around, perring at my back. The two long scars still tugged from my shoulder blades to my hips. A freak accident with a nasty typhoon dragon had resulted in these marks. 

 

I stepped closer to the mirror, picking out details. My freckles had left a path around my eyes where my goggles sat. The split in my eyebrow was as noticeable as ever. My hair really was curly. 

 

“I’m a mess,” I breathed, stepping back again and taking it all in. Stained tank top, shorts, the towel around my neck. I was awful. 

 

_ “You just need some food, and maybe another bath,”  _ Astri sighed, settling her head back down.  _ “You look amazing, given the circumstances.”  _

 

True. Given the week or so of hell I had just faced, I looked fantastic. All four limbs, all ten fingers and toes, both eyes, and my life were still intact. But, even so, I could’ve been better. 

 

Following Astri’s advice, I sat down and ate a full meal, filling my stomach for the first time since Erypool. I headed back the the bathroom to finish cleaning up a bit, washing my face and neatening up my hair. 

 

When I finally settled down to sleep, Astri stood and curled up around me. I tried to explain that she was not a pixie dragon, and she hadn’t fit in my lap since her hatchling days, but she didn’t care. She grumbled about me being too cold all the time, and I had no choice but to accept this. 

 

We slept soundly, getting a full seven hours of sleep before sunlight filtered through the windows and woke us both up. 

 

I rubbed my eyes, yawning and staring up at the ceiling. Astri stood slowly and complained about being hungry, so we ate. I had another full meal, a miracle for me, and set about getting dressed. My clothes from yesterday still smelled like salt, no matter how many times I soaked them in soapy water. So I abandoned them for my second set stowed safely in Astri’s saddlebags. Loose tan shirt, brown riding pants with thick black fabric around my thighs, my usual green jacket and it’s fur-lined hood. Socks and boots, gloves, and a belt followed. Finally, I set my goggles up on my forehead, into my mess of hair. 

 

Astri snorted as I mounted her, her wings uncurling in the morning light. I smiled, feeling the sun on my face and the cold Lowestoft wind pushing into my chest. 

 

_ “These are awful flight conditions,”  _ Astri blinked, glaring at the sky.

 

“Awesome. Let’s go.” 

 

We took off, momentarily blinded by sunlight. My goggles did a good job of filtering the glare and brightness out, and I could shout things to Astri so she knew where to fly. We turned in the direction of Skystead, the floating city. It was a foreign market, people from all corners of the world would come to sell and buy at Skystead. Technically, it wasn’t Otrella property. The city in the sky belonged to no kingdom. 

 

_ “And you’re sure stopping here is a good idea?”  _ Astri asked as we flew above the ferry. 

 

I rolled my eyes. “Little late to be asking that!” 

 

We passed the ferry easily, it wasn’t fast, and found Skystead in the distance. All gears and steam, metal and oil. A completely mechanical island, settled in the sea. I had never been, but stories of Skystead never escaped anyone, so I’d heard about it. Mom had told me it was like walking through a palace, only the palace was made of metal and rust. Dad had said it was a maze, designed to confuse you. 

 

I pulled Astri into a landing on the docks, where ships and dragons alike were tethered. I took Astri’s reigns in one hand, and the wax seal off the letter the queen had left me in the other. I had taken to holding the messy circle, running my thumb over the bumpy surface for comfort. Astri and I walked towards the wall separating Skystead from the docks. 

 

“Name and ID?” The man at the gate said. He was just making sure we weren’t criminals, but I sensed something else behind his eyes. 

 

“Charli West,” I said, passing over my ID card. 

 

The man gave it a once over before handing it back. “Got anything to state?” 

 

“No.”

 

“Well then,” The man opened the gate for me and Astri. “Enjoy your visit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 💗💗💗💗💗💗


	11. By now, I’m realizing I should have stayed in bed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli explores the city in the sky and makes a plan to rescue the queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUP BITCHES
> 
> This has an end now (no it really doesn’t, but I have a plan for the end) 
> 
> So it’s going to have around 17 or 18 chapters total, 16 of which are written, and an epilogue to round it all out! 
> 
> Because seriously, as much as i love Charli, she’s getting on my nerves now. 
> 
> Also, because I love torturing myself, I’ve been playing with the idea of a ‘Flash Fiction’ story, one shots that will either be BNHA (because I am fandom trash) or original work. So stay tuned, because that is a possibility, and Charli and Lucetta might get a few AUs (hint hint)

_ Step 11: Once the head is out, quickly clean the baby’s eyes, nose, and mouth with a rag.  _

_ The inside of the eggs is messy and gooey, and the baby won’t be able to breathe with all that on their face. To ensure your baby survives the hatching, clean the face before proceeding to step 12.  _

 

Skystead smelled like motor oil, a heavy smell that pulled at my lungs and begged to infect me. But at least I didn’t smell like salt anymore. Astri looked around, her reigns pulling whenever she moved. I tightened my grip on the leather strips. I’d heard rumor of dragon thieves, and the last thing I needed now was for Astri to go missing. 

 

We entered the main city without incident, settling down in the park. Real trees, bushes, and flowers lived in the city of metal, and I was determined to see it. Astri curled around the base of an old oak, snorting as she fanned her tail under her front legs. I climbed a few feet in the air so I could settle within the familiar green of the leaves. It also gave me a vantage point, I could see the whole park from here. 

 

I leaned back, letting one of my legs fall and swing. Leaves fell, making Astri shiver and complain. 

 

“It’s fall, what else do you expect?” I said, peering down. Astri glared up at me, indignation written on her scaled features. 

 

_ “Aren’t you dying to explore this city?”  _ she grumbled, putting her head back on her feet. 

 

I shrugged. “Yeah, but I don’t think I can.” 

 

_ “Oh for the love of God, I’ll be fine on my own for an hour or two. Go!”  _

 

Grinning, I hopped out of the tree. “Well, if you insist,” I said, bowing jokingly. “I’ll be back before the sun goes down.” 

 

_ “You better be.”  _

 

I left Astri dozing under the tree under one condition. She slept on her saddle. I carefully undid the straps and rolled the leather bundle up, passing it to my dragon so she could set it under her chest. As I walked away, I looked back. Astri looked peaceful. The only thing distinguishing her from a wild dragon was her bridle, decorated with the Otrella crest. 

 

The city glittered in the sun as I wandered down the streets. I passed hundreds of stalls, each one selling something different. I saw one for fabrics, one for metals, at least twenty food stalls, the list went on. 

 

Eventually, I found my way into the alley sales. Stalls selling semi-legal things, stolen goods and dangerous chemicals. I put my hands in my pockets. Coins, lint, my ID, a few small snacks, and the wax blob with the queen’s seal. Nothing worth stealing. All my specific identification papers, flying license, job papers, detailed ID notes, were with Astri. 

 

I stopped in front of a stall selling shoes. My boots had seen too much in the past week or so, and I needed new boot covers at the least. 

 

“Can I help ya?” 

 

I looked at the woman sitting in front of me. She was slender, a tiny thing that couldn’t have been any more than five foot one. She had green eyes, piercing and pure. She was wearing a headscarf, but I could see a brilliant white curl behind her ear. So she was from Treoviel. Most people from there had white hair, and they were awful criminals. 

 

“Yeah, actually. I need new riding boots,” I said, pulling my foot up. “I’ve been traveling and my old ones are ruined.”

 

The woman stared at my boots. “These are amazing quality. Otrella?” 

 

“Yeah.” 

 

She nodded. “I see,” she picked up a bouncing ball and threw it at a boy who was sleeping in the back. “Jean! Got any riding boots back there?”

 

“Yes Ma'am!”

 

“Ask the boss if we can sell them!” 

 

The wiry boy from the back headed into a curtained area. I stared at the boy. “Was that a Kinatu?” 

 

The girl nodded. “The boss keeps him around because he’s a damn good spearman, and he works hard,” she raised an eyebrow at me. “Why?” 

 

“No reason,” I said, shivering. “You got any other oddities back there?” 

 

The girl shrugged. “My girlfriend’s from Blythewin and our healer was found in Dyjogh, but that’s not where he was born. He took an oath of silence years and years back, so he don’t say nothing about where he came from” 

 

I nodded. “And this mysterious boss?” 

 

“Dunno,” The woman kicked her feet up onto the table. “Won’t say.”

 

She smiled at me. “I’m Ryan, by the way. What do you call yourself?” 

 

“Charli.” 

 

“Nice ta meetcha Charli.” 

 

The Kinatu boy came back, boots tucked under his arm. “The boss said sell these.” 

 

Ryan nodded. “Thanks Jean.” 

 

She passed the boots over the counter. “Call it a lucky guess, but these are your size.” 

 

I pulled my ruined boots off and swapped them with the new ones. Perfect fit. 

 

I stood up straight. “What’ll they cost?” 

 

“Nothin.” 

 

“Nothing? Isn’t that a bad business practice?”

 

Ryan shrugged, grinning. “Nah, I like ya. Now scram before I make you pay.”

 

I left, abandoning my old boots with Ryan. She rolled her eyes, but tucked the boots safely under the counter. 

 

Astri was exactly where I had left her, happily dozing under the oak. She opened her eyes and huffed as I settled next to her. 

 

_ “New boots?”  _

 

“Yeah,” I kicked my leg out. “The chick at the stall didn’t say anything about them. But they’re riding boots, and that’s what I needed.”

 

Astri rolled her eyes.  _ “What else did you get?”  _

 

“A good look around.” 

 

_ “Good lord, you are hopeless,”  _ Astri grumbled, glaring at me.  _ “Charli West, the greatest dragon hatcher alive, and she’s too scared to explore Skystead.”  _

 

I folded my arms. “I’m not scared.”

 

Astri laughed, the deep rumble making the tree shake.  _ “I know.”  _

 

We stayed under the tree until the sun set on the mechanical horizon, and I stood up to find us a hotel. It wasn’t hard, dragon hotels were abundant in cities like this. We found one called the Orbit hotel and spa, and I decided that would be our safest choice. I booked a room, and we flew up to it. The west-facing wall opened up like a garage door, pulling upwards with a hatch. I found a circular bed for Astri, and a mattress for me. 

 

The food was good, filling and flavorful, and I settled for a shower, despite my severely aching bones begging me for a bath in the spa downstairs. Astri asked if we could find a dragon bathing area in the city before taking off tomorrow, and I gave in once I discovered the first floor had dragon baths. We trailed down and into the baths, where Astri and I found a pretty young attendant waiting. 

 

“Hi!” She said cheerfully, “Can I help you?”

 

I nodded. “Yeah. Where are the dragon baths?” 

 

“Down the hall to your right. There should be a sign.” 

 

I thanked her and followed the wooden signs, very ready to push my sleeves up and give my dragon a bath. However, when I got there, a woman told me that she could wash Astri, and I could relax. 

 

_ “I’d prefer it if you washed me,”  _ Astri said, looking down at me. I relayed the message to the woman. 

 

She seemed unperturbed. “Alright. Let me show you the bath area.” 

 

We wandered down the rows of rooms until we found the ones with open doors. Inside was a bath, big enough for Astri, and a few shelves of washing supplies. The woman showed me where everything was and left, bidding me good luck. 

 

“Alright Astri,” I said, stretching my arms and taking off my jacket. “Let’s get cracking.” 

 

I pulled off my boots, traded my pants for shorts, and tied my hair up as best I could. Astri sunk into the bath, rumbling as she submerged herself into the steaming water. I followed, cautiously staying in the shallows, where my feet could still touch the ground. If Astri noticed, she didn’t comment. Instead, she hummed as I grabbed a sponge and beckoned her closer. 

 

“Y’know,” I said as Astri came over, her feet the only thing sunk under the water now. “We could turn back now.”

 

_ “Are we going to?”  _

 

“Hell no,” I said, pouring soap on the sponge and beginning the process of cleaning Astri’s scales. “We’ve come too far to quit. But I was thinking.” 

 

_ “That’s new.”  _

 

I playfully flung bubbles at Astri’s face. “Rude. Now, I was thinking, what happens if the freedom society captures me too? Will they kill me? Torture me? And what about you? They’ll kill you.” 

 

Astri sighed, blowing bubbles into my hair.  _ “Charli, they won’t capture us.”  _

 

“If they do, I’ve got a plan.” 

 

_ “Well, do tell.”  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading my bullshit


	12. A very serious chapter in which nothing really goes right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli finds the queen, but surprise surprise! It’s not going to be that easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAA
> 
> IM GOING TO PROM
> 
> THE HYPE IS FUCKING REAL
> 
> Prom is Saturday, and so I’ll be really distant for the next like. Four or Five days. 
> 
> (Watch me update Little Space on Saturday) 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter! It gets bloodier from here on, so read with caution! I also cried writing this one. It’s kinda sad.

_ Step twelve: Help the hatchling along with its first chirps.  _

_ If a hatchling head comes out of the egg and doesn’t chirp or make some other noise, there could be a few things wrong. The airways could be blocked, the dragon could be mute or disfigured, or it could have died in hatching. It is, however, rare that a dragon hatchling dies during the hatching process.  _

 

Astri and I walked out of the dragon baths an hour later, Astri all clean, and me a wet mess. We headed back up to our room, and I happily took another shower, lounging around our room in my tank top and shorts. Astri stared at the setting sun, her eyes half open as I stretched and yawned. 

 

“Big day tomorrow,” I said, wandering over. 

 

_ “Yeah.”  _

 

“You scared?” 

 

_ “For you,”  _ Astri turned her head to me.  _ “This plan of yours doesn’t exactly inspire confidence.”  _

 

I sat down. “Ok but that’s just the emergency plan.” 

 

Astri huffed and turned away, and I laid back, my head hitting the cool floor beneath me. 

 

We slept like that, me abandoning my mattress for the floor, and Astri with her back to me. The buzz of the city lulled me to sleep. The city that never slept, the universal hub. It was a part of me now, the smell of oil in my hair and the dust under my nails, Skystead lived and breathed within everyone. 

 

I woke up to Astri smacking my chest with her tail. She did that fairly often, giving me a usually well-deserved hit on the back or chest. Now, she woke me up with a thump and a grin, telling me to eat a fast breakfast, we had ground to cover. 

 

Despite my usually fast wake time, I was sluggish as I pulled my clothes on and ate an apple, counting that as my breakfast. Astri and I were in the air before the sun rose, flying out of the city. With the sun at our backs, we raced above the ocean, following the jagged edge of the land as we flew past beaches and tiny huts and finally, we could see Mount Odium in the distance. The volcano had been dormant for years, the volcano dragon that lived inside the blackened mountain having been subdued and sent back to sleep. 

 

The ground was still charred from the last explosion, and I shivered as Orilon houses, burnt shells of buildings, began to show up. As predicted, the main building, a four story factory that had once been a weapons center, had no visible damage. I seethed at the idea of the queen being in there. Despite my general dislike of the court, the queen was different. She was my age, too young to be leading a country. In fact, I was fairly certain her parents had been assassinated because of the Orilon incident. 

 

“Keep your eyes open,” I warned Astri. “They might let us land, but they won’t let us stay.”

 

_ “Gotcha.”  _

 

We circled the building a few times, trying to find an entrance that wasn’t the main doors or the landing hatch on the roof. Nothing that Astri could fit through, but the third floor had windows, which was promising. Upon further inspection, I noticed the windows were barred off, but Astri said she smelled something distinctly human on the third floor. 

 

_ “And whoever it is, they really need a bath,” _ Astri grumbled. 

 

I narrowed my eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of the figure inside. Astri got as close as she dared, and I saw pale hands, slender fingers, and an, albeit dirty, swath of silver-blonde hair. 

 

“It’s her!” I yelled, pulling Astri’s reins back and up, “Land on the roof, let’s end this!” 

 

Astri landed, her feet making no noise on the concrete. I slid off, carefully undoing my harness and tucking it away in my saddlebags. The note I had written earlier was rolled up next to the harness, along with a first aid kit. If we pulled this off, I’d only need the kit, but I had a really bad feeling in my chest that the rescue mission was going to end badly.

 

The fourth floor was void of all human life, but there were multiple dragons wandering around. Injured dragons, sick dragons, perfectly fine dragons, all stuck here. I yelled at them to help their sick or injured friends and get the hell out. They all listened, thanking me frantically and flying off in a flurry of wings. 

 

Left behind were the dead or dying. Only one, which was both good and bad. A beautiful shadow dragon, fresh out of adolescence. A pure, ultimate black with glowing ashy eyes. Usually, they hated humans, but this one weakly shoved into my touch, curling up in my arms and whimpering. I stroked her nose, carefully running my fingers across the smooth black scales of her head. The shadow dragon whined, calling out in pain, using her last breaths to try and find help. 

 

“Shhhh,” I shushed, tears stinging in my eyes. “Shh. You’re ok sweetheart. You’re ok,” I reassured softly, rocking my body back and forth. The dragon whined again, her voice humming feebly. 

 

_ “Am I going to die?”  _

 

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes you will. But,” I began to choke up. “You will die an honorable death, if you will allow me to name you.” 

 

_ “Please.”  _

 

I bowed my head down, scooping up a handful of dirt and gently spreading the proper tunes across the dragon’s back. “I name you Frethies, giver of life and love. Rise, Frethies.” 

 

Frethies couldn’t stand on her own, so I helped her, holding her up and swiping my thumb across her back, smudging the runes. Frethies seemed satisfied, as she flopped back down on the dusty ground and shut her eyes. I watched, holding her in my arms, as she died. 

 

The room was silent. I didn’t dare make noise until I was sure Frethies was dead. Her body lay limp, the heat that radiated off her slowly fading into a cool surface of scales and skin. I mourned, kneeling and whispering. I had no idea what I was saying, it all just poured out of me. Strings of old languages long dead to this world. The words pooled and stained, turning my vision black and my heart a violent shade of red.

 

_ “Charli,”  _ Astri said softly, swishing her tail across my back.  _ “Be careful.”  _

 

“I will.”

 

I left Astri on the top floor, her wings out and ready to fly away. She seemed discontent with just waiting, but I saw no other choice. The only way down was a stairwell that she wouldn’t fit through. 

 

The third floor held the same cleanliness as the fourth. Dirt caked concrete floors, bare grey brick walls, light streaming in from the windows, all the bulbs above my head burnt out and shattered. I passed between doorless rooms, moving my feet slowly. I reached the back of the room and my face got very cold very fast. Four cells, each with rusted bars and straw littering the floor. The farthest cell to the left was wrapped in shadows, and I could barely make out the contents of the cell next to it. In the second cell to the right, however, was my prize. Queen Lucetta Noxx, stripped of her clothes and left in a grimy white dress. Her once powerful black eyes were broken and dark, her face bloodstained and gaunt. She was sweaty and shivering at the same time, and her bruised ankles were wrapped in chains. 

 

“Charli!” She yelled, getting up and rushing to the bars. She reached her hands out to me and I moved automatically. We collided, despite the bars. Her forehead met mine, her breath ghosting my skin. I ran my fingers through her knotted hair, trying to tug the mangled white blonde locks straight and shiny, the way I remembered them. 

 

“Oh Gods, you actually came,” Lucetta breathed, her fingers tracing my cheekbones. “You look awful.” 

 

I smiled, a true, genuine smile. “So do you.” 

 

I pulled away, reaching my hands towards the lock that separated us. I hastily shoved an old hairpin into the hole, wriggling it around and whispering to myself. 

 

The lock popped open with a satisfying click, and I pulled the door open without hesitation. Lucetta grabbed at my skin, her fingernails biting into my arms. She was even dirtier up close, the grime caking her face thicker under her eyes and around her heavily chapped lips. I dug in my pockets until I found my water flask. Lucetta snatched it out of my hands and drank all of it in a few swift gulps. When she pass the the flask back to me, I smiled slightly. A bead of water collected on Lucetta’s bottom lip, quivering as she moved. 

 

I turned away, scared that if I kept looking, I might do something reckless, something I would regret. And then Lucetta pulled my face back towards hers and she kissed me. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️💙💜💛🧡💚


	13. Error 404: what the fuck?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli finds the queen, ready to leave and end the cycle of hell. But hey, it’s never that easy, is it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kill me. 
> 
> I’m exausted, seeing words in my sleep, and schoolwork is dragging me down. 
> 
> Besides that, I feel great. 
> 
> Prom was nice, even if I did sustain a bit of hearing damage. 
> 
> This story isn’t done yet, and we’re close to the point of no return where it just stops. (Chapter 17) I’ll try and write for this, but no guarantee. 
> 
> This chapter gets bloody. You have been warned.

_ Step 13: carefully peel away the rest of the egg.  _

_ Take your time with this step, as the egg can be thick and hard to break in some places. The baby cannot break the egg by itself, and it wants to remain there, as the egg is all it has known. Reassure your baby during this process.  _

 

I was frozen, caught in between the kiss and the moments around us that passed slowly, too slowly. Lucetta’s lips were soft, despite how chapped they were. Salty and cool, like dirt and tears and the copper tang of blood. I tangled my hands through her hair, trying to break us apart and knit us together all at once. 

 

We broke when Lucetta gasped, her lungs greedy for the air around us. Us. There was no me and her, now it was only us. 

 

She stared deep in my eyes, eyebrows knitting together and face tilting. 

 

“You cut your hair,” she murmured, pushing a loose curl behind my ear.

 

I grabbed her hand and held it close. “Yeah.” 

 

We stood, statue still for a few seconds, before I tugged Lucetta towards the stairs, towards safety and freedom. She followed without hesitation, bare feet making almost no noise on the dust and dirt covered floor.

 

We made it up the stairs, Astri turning her head and sighing. 

 

_ “I thought you two wouldn’t make it out,”  _ she said, crouching down. 

 

I slung myself onto her back in one swift movement, helping Lucetta on with a bit less grace. She hugged tight to my body, arms wrapped across my torso. “I had faith,” I said softly. 

 

Astri ran to the door, her wings already spread out. We hardly made it ten feet up into the air before a rope wrapped around my waist and pulled me down, off Astri. I hit the ground and stared up at the weather worn faces of Lucetta’s kidnappers. 

 

“Go!” I yelled, waving at Astri. “Go, get out of here!” 

 

She obliged, beating her wings and flying up, up, up, until she was nothing more than a black dot against the clouds. I watched, helpless on the ground, as my dragon flew off in the direction of the castle. 

 

The kidnappers all laughed, two of them dragging me to my feet. The biggest one smirked at me. 

 

“Well look what the dragon dragged in boys,” he growled. “Throw it in a cell with the pretty one. If we get lucky, this one’ll have something hidden under those clothes too!”

 

Lucetta. A chill went down my spine before I registered the last part. They had Lucetta too. This wasn’t good. 

 

I was literally thrown into the cell, my back slamming into the wall and I knew I’d have wicked bruising later. Lucetta was unceremoniously tossed in after me, her body hitting mine. The men laughed and walked off, the click of the lock echoing in my ears. 

 

The first thing I did was strip out of my jacket and flight gear, hiding it all under loose hay piled up in the corner. I gave Lucetta my boots, her feet looked worse than mine, and considered taking my shirt off. But a chill had begun to grow and I knew I would need as much clothing as I could get. 

 

Lucetta looked up at me. “Charli,” she rasped. 

 

I knelt down, gathering her in my lap and kissing her forehead. “Shh, this is all part of the plan,” I murmured. “Astri’s flying to the castle and she’ll get us help, I promise.” 

 

“It’s not that,” Lucetta hiccuped. She was crying. “I never told you that I love you.” 

 

“I love you too, have for a while, actually. Since I flew over at thirteen and yelled at you for my parents,” I confessed, feeling my chest tighten. “I never said anything to anyone, not even Astri.” 

 

Lucetta and I settled into a comfortable silence, her head against my stomach as we lay, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. Instead, we were left alone, growing colder by the minute. 

 

The sun had begun to set by the time I got up to pace. I couldn’t pick the lock on the cell without seeing it, so we had no hope for escape. At least, until a man came down, flanked by two burly guards. It was the same man who had sentenced me to the cell, the one who I assumed to be the leader. He smiled at me, eyeing the way Lucetta curled behind me. 

 

I was dragged to my feet upon order from the leader, and he laughed as I struggled. “Oh what the hell, grab the lady too!” he yelled, and the second guard let go of me and hauled Lucetta up. We were walked up the hall and down the stairs, where the rooms had doors, but everything else looked similar to the upstairs level. Dusty, dirty, the doors all creaked on their hinges and were obviously rusting. 

 

I was shoved into a chair, my arms and legs strapped down with what I assumed were old belts. The chair swung a bit as I was secured down, it was a revolving chair. Interesting. Lucetta was tied to an old wooden chair in the corner, tipped in a way that guaranteed her an amazing view to whatever was about to happen. 

 

The leader whistled as he rummaged through wardrobe drawers, placing items on a desk in front of me, each item more wicked looking than the last. I tossed my head back, trying to find the light source in the room. A window, panes of glass missing and cracked. But it was a window nonetheless. 

 

The man stood straight, grabbing a knife and shredding through my shirt in one swift movement. I was suddenly grateful for my undershirt, despite how thin it was. It was a welcome protection against the jerks that stood before me. 

 

My pants were cut up in a similar fashion, shredded as close as they could be. I was still covered up, but that was debatable. 

 

“She ain’t as exciting as the other one,” one man whined. “She ain’t nothing but skin and bones.” 

 

“Give it a minute,” The leader growled. “It’ll get fun in a mo’.”

 

That scared me. What the hell were they going to do to me? True, Lucetta had all her teeth and all her fingernails, but there were other kinds of pain. 

 

That other kind of pain they inflicted on me wasn’t bad. They took turns attacking the back of my head with a knife, leaving cuts that would scar and blood that would dry. They tossed me and Lucetta back into our cage, taking pity on us and leaving a bruised apple and half-eaten bread as a meal and old blankets as clothes. 

 

We made do, using an old water bucket to clean my head and ripping the thinnest blanket up to use as bandages. We split the food, ignoring our rumbling stomachs as we settled on the hay pile, using the remaining blankets and my jacket for warmth. 

 

I watched dragons fly in lazy circles as the moon rose. The window in our cell was large, mostly broken panes of glass and bars that cast long shadows. A pixie dragon flitted through the metal and curled up in my lap, the tiny thing fitting perfectly in between my thighs. I carefully scratched between the silver horns, smiling as shimmering pink scale dust floated around the air. Pixie dragons were the smallest species, and they looked like creatures of pure imagination. Pastel pink or purple scales and spiked horns of gold and silver. Fairy thin wings that hummed like bees and a slender tail with soft fur. They made amazing pets for little kids. 

 

The one dragon was soon joined by four more, each one giving Lucetta and me a bit more warmth and comfort.

 

We slept like that, curled up on hay and covered in dragons, both sore and bloody, but very much alive. 

 

I woke up to cold water splashing in my face, the heavy weight of the dragons gone. I writhed, trying to throw off the invisible force of the cold water. Nothing happened. Instead, I was lifted, water dripping down my face and into my eyes, blurring my vision. Two men lifted me by my arms, igniting the lost pain from my previous dislocation. Any more of this, and I’d have permanent damage. 

 

I was half walked, half dragged back to the room I’d been in yesterday, my blood still staining the floor. I was, yet again, tied down and left at the mercy of the man who appeared to be the ringleader here. 

 

He grinned, turning to me and chuckling slightly at my bound form.

 

“How?” The man standing above me smiled an evil, twisted smile. “Just how do you plan to escape with your precious queen now? You’re all tied up,” he picked up a pair of pliers. “Nowhere to go,” He held the pliers up to the dim light from the window. “And no one can hear you scream,” he finished, a wicked glint in his eyes.    
  
He approached my face with the pliers, and I instinctively pulled my head back as far as possible. But, as the man had mentioned, I couldn’t go far when tied up. He caught my face with one giant hand, pressing his thumb and forefinger into my cheeks, trying to force my mouth open. I resisted as much as possible, but the man was twice my size and so much stronger than me.    
  
As soon as my mouth was open, the pliers were shoved in, and I began to writhe, whipping my head back and forth in a final desperate attempt at relative safety. The man scowled and backed away, leaving me so he could grab a second, thinner pair of pliers.    
  
I knew I wasn’t safe in the slightest. But I had bought a few extra seconds for myself to enjoy having all the blood in my body.    
  
The man had no mercy. He turned around and, without warning, yanked one of my fingernails out.    
  
I saw everything before the pain hit me. A sunburst of white-hot agony spread up my arm. My teeth pressed together, keeping me from screaming in absolutely misery. I faintly, between pulses of pain, felt the warmth of my blood trickling down my fingers and pooling on the back of my hand.    
  
“Now maybe you’ll learn to sit still,” The man growled, carelessly throwing my fingernail onto a metal tray. Now that the pain was dulling, I noticed the apex of my torment. My right ring finger, now a patchwork of bloody skin and meat.    
  
Before I could fully process the severity of my hand, the pliers that had dropped out of my mouth were shoved right back between my teeth. The man got close to my face, only two inches from my nose. “Move, and that won’t be the only thing you lose off that hand,” he threatened.    
  
I, wisely, didn’t move.    
  
“Thank you,” the man said, his sadistic grin blossoming again. The awful metal of the pliers scraped against my teeth, causing me to screw my eyes shut. I waited, bracing for the pain to erupt and flood me.    
  
The man, to add insult to injury, hummed as he searched for the perfect way to cause me agony. He must’ve found it, because the scraping stopped and within the next few moments, I was down one molar.    
  
The pain was practically unbearable. I couldn’t bite down and contain my screams for fear that my discomfort would get worse. So I was left to wail, agonized yells that echoed in my ears and ripped around the room. Blood began to fill my mouth, the copper taste bringing tears to my eyes.    
  
By the time I had stopped screaming, there were tear tracks down my face and blood dripping out of my mouth. I panted, watching the blood spill slowly into my lap, staining all down the front of my shirt and pants. My head hung forward, limp and heavy. God that hurt. I’d lost teeth before, pulled a few out myself while I was growing up. But I’d always had the warmth of my mother to hold my face when I’d come running into the kitchen, bloody tooth in hand. She’d praise me for being brave and kiss my forehead. 

 

Now, all I got was the same brutal treatment, each time punctuated with blurry questions I didn’t answer. I was finally let out, my whole body hanging like a rag doll in the guard’s arms. They helped me back in the cell, being only slightly more careful with my almost dead weight. One of the guards, a young one, tossed Lucetta a clean rag to wipe my mouth with.

 

“Charli!” Lucetta rushed forward and caught me before I stumbled to the ground. “Oh Charli what did they do to you?” She said, pulling my limp body into her lap and cradling me gently.    
  
She carefully pulled me out of my clothes and used the ruined cloth of my shirt to wrap my finger up in makeshift bandages, wipe as much of my face clean as possible, and make a pillow for my head.    
  
She cleaned me up properly with a water bucket and the rag from the guard, her eyes watering as I writhed in agony. The sheer pain in my mouth was enough to drive me to screams, and even though Lucetta was being gentle, it still hurt like hell.    
  
“Ok Charli, I need to see what they did,” the former queen slid my head onto her legs again. “Can you open your mouth, pretty please?”    
  
I wanted to laugh. Here we were, tortured, bloody, and alone, and Lucetta was saying pretty please. But the pain was enough for me to open my mouth without laughter.    
  
After deeming four teeth missing, Lucetta pressed the wet cloth into my mouth and told me to bite as hard as I could to help with the bleeding. As I bit and cried, she told me stories, stroking my choppy hair and smiling. She told me about the sunset from the castle balcony, and how she loved swinging around on the ladder in the library. I blinked wearily, unable to do much else. The pain faded into a constant, dull, ache, pulsing from my head down to my toes, centered around my jaw. 

 

I shivered the night away. The pixie dragons came back, settling down and chirping when I winced. Right, they could sense pain. I watched a particularly small one curl up in the dip between my ribs, head facing my chin. Heat radiated from my chest outward, warming my bones and stopping my shivers. 

 

With Lucetta safe and my body being relatively heated by gathering pixie dragons, I settled in to sleep, knowing that I’d need my energy for whatever fresh hell tomorrow held.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeet Yeet bitches ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜


	14. “Rescue the Queen,” They said. “It’ll be fun,” they said.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charli and Lucetta regret recent life choices and make a wonderful new friend!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS
> 
> WE’RE LIKE TWO CHAPTERS AWAY FROM THE POINT OF NO RETURN. AKA, WHERE THIS STOPS. 
> 
> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
> 
> For realsies tho
> 
> This is going to end soon and every Wednesday I’ll be panicking like ‘hOLY SHIT DID I UPDATE- Wait. No. It’s over.’ 
> 
> It should end in three or four more chapters and an epilogue. 
> 
> Also, the chapters are shorter than usual. Sorry not sorry

_ Step 14: Wash your dragon down _

_ Once your hatchling is out of the egg, take it to a basin or bath to be washed down. The nutritional fluids inside the egg have a tendency to stain scales, so wash your hatchling down as soon as either the mother sees the hatchling or, if no mother is present, the hatching is complete. _

 

Days passed, a horrible cycle of sunlight and torture. The cell was cold, damp, and always smelled like rust. I shivered, unable to stop. Lucetta, who had been here longer than me, was use to the cold. But that didn’t mean her toes were safe from the purple tinge.    
  
We were safe from the sadistic playtime the guards had set up on a sunny day, a Wednesday if I was counting right. A ship pulled into the docks, large sails and worn out wood. Pirates.    
  
I curled into Lucetta’s chest, trying to warm her up a bit. She covered me with a blanket sized cloth and rubbed my back, her fingers dancing lightly over my old scars and new wounds. We waited, listening for any kind of hope. Maybe the pirates would help us, maybe we’d be free. I thought briefly of Astri, flying away until she was nothing more than a dot in the distance. At least she was safe, and help would come soon.   
  
A rattling sound drew my attention off my lost companion. The sound of chains on a wrist. Someone was here with us. Lucetta looked around, calling out softly. A boy shuffled forward, emerging from the shadows of the cell beside us. He was skinny and pale, with messy brown hair that curled slightly at the ends. His clothes were gone, all that remained was a thin black shirt and pants. His eyes, however, were hopeful. A blue so dark I could’ve mistaken them for black. He must’ve been thrown in here while Lucetta and I slept, as neither of us saw him come in.   
  
“Hey,” Lucetta pulled forward, sitting in front of the boy. “Who are you?”    
  
The boy seemed wary, but our desperate condition seemed to clue him in on the fact that we weren’t enemies. “Mycin.”    
  
I crawled towards the bars. “As in, the pirate captain Mycin?” I asked.    
  
“The one and only,” Mycin said bitterly.    
  
Lucetta touched Mycin’s hand. “You’re injured.”    
  
“It’s nothing too bad,” the young pirate lord insisted.   
  
I wanted to argue. The wound was circular, jagged and dark. It had obviously been wrapped at one point, but the bandages were gone now, revealing the awful damage that had been done. Lucetta actually did argue, pushing the pirate captain to let her look at his injuries.    
  
Mycin held his hand out, passing it through the bars. Lucetta carefully cleaned the wound with water, much to Mycin’s hissed complaining. She took strips of cloth that had been used for a burn I had received to wrap Mycin’s now clean hand back up.    
  
“When you get out of here, make sure you see someone about that,” she advised. “It looks really awful.”   
  
Mycin cradled his arm to his chest. “Gunshot wound. They shot my hand with my own damn gun ‘cause I was trespassing,” he looked warily at us. “What’re you two in for?” 

 

“Being the queen.”

 

“Trying to unkidnap the queen and topple this empire of sadism and hell.”

 

Mycin smiled. “Sounds fun,” he murmured. “I’d offer to help you, but I’m down one crew.”

 

He gestured to an open room that had been empty for a while, but now had four hanging bodies, strung up by the neck from the ceiling rafters. 

 

Lucetta gasped, turning away, but I kept looking. I knew these people. The closest body was a tiny thing that couldn’t have been any more than five foot one. Her hands limply held a black scarf, letting her shoulder-length shock of brilliant white hair hang loose. 

 

Next to the hanging body of Ryan was the Kinatu boy who had found my boots, and two unfamiliar bodies in a line beside him. 

 

“I know her,” I breathed, “Ryan. I met her in Skystead.” I turned to Mycin, who sighed. 

 

“Best second a pirate could ask for,” he grumbled, “She was smart, quick, and hella good at business. That’s Jean next to her, and then Fallon, and that last one is Brand.” 

 

I looked into the room again. “And the empty noose?”

 

“That’s for me.”

 

Lucetta stood, stumbling over to our water bucket and throwing up, her knees shaking. I watched, not knowing what to do. The news that Mycin was to be hanged was shocking. They could’ve done it already, but they didn’t.

 

“They want something out of you,” I realized, sickness turning my stomach over, tying it in knots. 

 

Mycin nodded. “Maps,” he said. “Maps of Otrella, Vrosan, and even the Kinatu lands. I had most of the world’s countries on maps. Hid them on my ship right before we were captured.”

 

I nodded slowly. “And now the freedom society wants them.” 

 

Lucetta settled back down in my lap, clinging to me and burying her face in my shoulder. I rubbed her back, trying to comfort my now shaking girlfriend. 

 

“Mycin,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Where are you from?” 

 

“East Hiacain.” 

 

East Hiacain was off the west coast of Otrella, so close that all three of the Hiacain islands were technically part of the Otrellan lands. I looked out the window. If I tried hard enough, I could make out a faint pod of ash dragons migrating. Ash dragons were local only to west Otrella and East Hiacain, which were volcano heavy locations. Volcanoes. Like the one we sat in the shadow of. 

 

“What about you?” 

 

I turned back to Mycin. “Tiny island on the east side of Otrella. Barn lands.” 

 

Mycin nodded, his eyes downcast. We settled into a comfortable silence, Lucetta occasionally murmuring to me. I pulled my fingers through her hair, brushing the strands straight again. The pure silver color was fading, replaced by a dusty tan. I looked over at Mycin. He had curled back into his corner, his arms around his knees. 

 

The sun set and Mycin was dragged off by the guards, kicking and screaming. I called out to him, tossed pebbles at the guards, but it was hopeless. Mycin was gone. 

 

We didn’t see him again. 

 

We did, however, see another hellish day, and it started with a fun torture sesion. Lucetta was tied down to a chair and I was strapped into a machine of sorts, my hands above my head and my ankles cuffed down. Unable to move, I just waited as the men set up, happily dragging their own chairs to watch the spectacle of madness. One man came around to stand to my left, and began to turn a crank, and so began the end of everything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

**Author's Note:**

> Weekly(ish) updates
> 
>  
> 
> Probably. 
> 
> Might skip a week at the end because this totally isn’t done yet


End file.
